Friday, April 05, 2024

Aïoli

We were first introduced to this in Brussels and will never forget the wonderful taste. It seemed very strange to us to get a mayo type sause for fries.
"This rich garlic sauce is similar in texture to mayonnaise, and is commonly used in the cuisine of Provençe in France and Catalonia in Spain. Provençal aïoli consists of egg yolks, olive oil, and garlic, while the Catalan version consists only of garlic, salt, and olive oil. Its name comes from ail, meaning garlic, and oli, the Provençal word for oil. Some historians claim that its origins lie in a Roman sauce called aleatum, which was also made with garlic and oil. A sauce similar to aïoli was first mentioned by Pliny the Elder, Roman procurator of Tarragona, in his first-century encyclopedia Naturalis Historia, in which he describes garlic and its powerful medicinal properties.