Which French sauce is a mayonnaise-like emulsion of garlic and olive oil? Aioli is the answer. Traditionally called aïoli in French or allioli in Catalan, it is a cold sauce made by emulsifying garlic with olive oil.
The sauce belongs to the cuisines of Provence and other parts of the northwestern Mediterranean, including Catalonia and Valencia. Its name combines words meaning “garlic” and “oil” in Provençal and Catalan usage. Traditional versions are prepared by crushing garlic with salt in a mortar and gradually working in olive oil.
Aioli is often compared with mayonnaise because both are emulsions, but they are not identical. Classic aioli does not require egg, whereas many modern recipes add egg yolk, lemon juice, or mustard to make the emulsion easier to stabilize. In everyday English, “aioli” is also frequently used for garlic-flavored mayonnaise.
It is served with seafood, fish soup, boiled vegetables, potatoes, and salt cod. Provence’s grand aïoli is not merely a sauce but a composed meal built around aioli and an assortment of vegetables, fish, eggs, and other accompaniments.