Confusing Groceries: Miracle Whip

Part 1 in a series about the most confusing items to shop for in the grocery store covers "Miracle Whip vs Mayo". Learn the difference so you're never left with the wrong ingredient.

[talloranz]

When I was a little kid I mistook a jar of miracle whip for marshmallow fluff and tried to steal a bite. 20 years later I still shiver at the sight.

[Aeroreido]

the spam and pepsi slander was uncalled for

[slobfern]

"miracle whip" is such a pre-50s name for a product

[tantilist]

Finally someone who actually knows the difference. Tried to make ranch with miracle whip once thinking they were the same thing 🤮

[starababa]

It's ironic that Miracle Whip was created with cheaper ingredients, bcause it now costs nearly twice the price of mayo.

[OxTheHerdzz]

The American urge to put high fructose corn syrup in literally everything

[TheSwolethatwasPromised.]

The casual Pepsi and Spam disrespect is craaazy.

[Cieloan]

I like both, but I'd never confuse them. My grandma always called miracle whip "salad dressing". It's not supposed to taste like mayo.. It doesn't just have sugar added to it. It has mustard, garlic, and other spices added as well. A bit like a coleslaw dressing.

[LadyDragonious]

You know, it's funny to hear the "you only like it if u were raised on it". I was raised on Miracle whip and never liked eating sandwiches. I preferred pbj's or pbb's over meat sandwiches. Then I ate at my friend's house in 1st grade and my world was blown. Her mom made us ham sandwiches and I said thank u and started to eat, because 90s kids ate what was put in front of them and don't waste food. It took 2 bites for my brain to process that this was the BEST SANDWICH I HAVE EVER HAD! I asked her mom how she made our sandwiches and told her it was the best sandwich I had ever had. Better than my mom's, and both my grandma's. She laughed and patiently pulled out all the ingredients and let me try each individually. Mayo was the only difference and that small spoon of plain Mayo changed my life. It made me a Foodie and I realized food could have flavor and taste good. It didn't have to just be sustenance. I insisted we also buy the same best foods Mayo and I have never gone back.

[designof]

Yep, I was raised on Miracle Whip lol. It wasn't until I started going to sandwich shops with my friends that I had mayo.

[leslierae]

Miracle whip, spam and Pepsi are 3 things that my grandma can’t live without. She’s 90 and just recently started eating mayo because I made it for her once in an emersion blender and she loved it.

[OldNew]

Yup. My dad LOVED it. He'd always recite the tagline when using it. And confusing the two would get you "talked to", if not stabbed with a butter knife.

[Bobistheone]

I didn't try spam until 28 and I love it, especially with rice or on a skewer.

[jeanlee]

I’m from Hawaii and Spam is King here. For everyone who hasn’t tried it, you HAVE to fry it before eating it exactly like bacon. Spam musubi (spam atop a rice roll covered with nori) is iconic and sold in every market and 7-11 stores. Lots of visitors end up liking it too. ❤

[kittenface]

I didn't realize people confused them with each other. Miracle Whip tastes a lot different than mayo. I like miracle Whip on BLTs better than mayo, cuz it's sweeter but tangy on the salty bacon. As far as the ingredients "being cheaper", maybe back in the old days, but Miracle Whip is more expensive than mayo a lot of times.

[chalmersmathew]

Spam is probably less of a ‘raised on it’ kinda ingredient. I only got into spam recently because I’ve seen people use it as a simple staple that can be used on ramen and, so long as it’s seared well, it’s great!

[Zaileir]

Spam is far from a "only liked by those raised on it" kind of food. It's become more and more popular over the years as people realize that it's a versatile thing that can be eaten with all sorts of different dishes.

I've found that spam can be used interchangeably with pretty much any salty/cured meat in a dish, like bacon, ham, etc.

[josephercanbrack]

Calling out Spam is gonna have the entirety of the pacific islands frothing

[bleach-kun]

I like both miracle whip and mayo, but I don't use them interchangeably. I typically use miracle whip with salty or savory foods, because I like sweet and salty/savory. But I usually default to mayo

[quinlan]

As a kid who grew up on miracle whip, you are absolutely correct in saying there is no substitute.