Aioli

For the 19th-century Occitan newspaper, see L'Aiòli.
Aioli
TypeSauce
Place of originCatalonia/Occitan regions of France and Spain
Main ingredientsOlive oil, garlic, sometimes eggs

Aioli, allioli, or aïoli (/aɪˈoʊli/ or /eɪˈoʊli/; Provençal Occitan: alhòli [aˈʎɔli] or aiòli [aˈjɔli]; Catalan: allioli [ˌaʎiˈɔli]; Spanish: alioli [ˌaliˈoli]) is a cold sauce consisting of an emulsion of garlic and olive oil; it is found in the cuisines of the northwest Mediterranean.

The names mean "garlic and oil" in Catalan and Provençal.[1] It is found in the cuisines of the Mediterranean coasts of Spain (Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Murcia, and eastern Andalusia) and France (Provence, Languedoc, Roussilon).[2]

Some versions of the sauce are closer to a garlic mayonnaise, incorporating egg yolks and lemon juice, whereas other versions lack egg yolk and contain more garlic. The latter gives the sauce a pastier texture, making it more laborious to produce as the emulsion is harder to stabilise.[3][4][5][6] There are many variations, such as adding lemon juice or other seasonings. In France, it may include mustard.[7][8]

In Malta, the term arjoli or ajjoli is used for a different preparation made with galletti (a type of cracker), tomato, onion, garlic, and herbs.[9]

Like mayonnaise, aioli is an emulsion or suspension of small globules of oil and oil-soluble compounds in water and water-soluble compounds. Traditionally, aioli should not include egg, but nowadays, egg or egg yolk is the usual emulsifier.[citation needed]

Since about 1990, it has become common in the United States to call all flavored mayonnaises aioli.[citation needed] Purists insist that flavored mayonnaise can contain garlic, but true aioli contains garlic and no other seasoning (except salt).[10]

  1. ^ Stevenson, Angus (2010-08-19). Oxford Dictionary of English. OUP Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-957112-3.
  2. ^ Larousse, Librairie (2009-10-13). Larousse Gastronomique: The World's Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia, Completely Revised and Updated. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-0-307-46491-0.
  3. ^ J.-B. Reboul, La Cuisinière Provençale 1910 (1st edition); 1989 (25th edition), p. 88
  4. ^ Robert Courtine, The Hundred Glories of French Cooking (tr. Derek Coldman), 1973, p. 140
  5. ^ Henri Philippon, Cuisine de Provence, 1977 (2nd ed), p. 20
  6. ^ Mireille Johnston, The Cuisine of the Sun, 1976; Johnston gives one recipe without extra flavorings (p. 75) and one with mustard (p. 229)
  7. ^ Prosper Montagné, Larousse Gastronomique (1938, tr. 1961), s.v.
  8. ^ Olney, Richard (1994). Lulu's Provençal table: the exuberant food and wine from Domaine Tempier Vineyard. New York: HarperCollins. pp. 124–5. ISBN 0-06-016922-2.
  9. ^ apronandwhisk (2022-03-27). "Maltese Arjoli Dip". Apron & Whisk. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  10. ^ David Tanis, A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes, ISBN 1579653464, 2008, p. 102