Pass the Ketchup?

Living on the East Coast now after growing up on the West Coast, I've found the Hellmann's and Best Foods divide to be one of those great American culinary curiosities, a border drawn by a jar of mayonnaise. Turns out it's not much of a divide at all: they're the same product wearing two names. Purists on either side will still swear by a difference, but the truth is closer to marketing than to recipe. Duke's is the real fork in the road. Southern-born, egg yolks only, no sugar, with a brightness that comes from a blend of vinegars.

Growing up, I didn't care for the creaminess of mayonnaise at all; I was firmly in the ketchup camp. But tastes evolve, and now our household favorite is Kewpie— a little umami, a little sweetness.