BRAVE AI:
Kewpie Mayonnaise is manufactured by the Kewpie Corporation (originally founded as Shokuhin Kogyo Co., Ltd.), a Tokyo-based food corporate giant that introduced the iconic condiment to Japan in 1925.
Depending on which version you buy in the United States, it is made by two different divisions of the same parent company:
The Two Versions of Kewpie
The Japanese Import:
Manufactured at domestic facilities in Japan, this version is packaged in a soft, pliable plastic squeeze tube wrapped in a clear plastic bag featuring the full-body red cartoon baby logo. It is famous for containing MSG (monosodium glutamate) to provide its legendary savory punch.
The American-Made Version:
Manufactured stateside by Q&B Foods, Inc.—the official U.S. production division of the Kewpie USA Shop. This version comes in a rigid, standalone plastic squeeze bottle. Instead of artificial MSG, it utilizes yeast extract to achieve its signature umami flavor.
Manufacturing Facilities
To keep up with exploding international demand, the company operates production bases across multiple continents:
California, USA:
Q&B Foods handles heavy production out of its primary West Coast facility in Irwindale, California.
Tennessee, USA:
To vastly increase North American supply lines, the company expanded by opening a major condiments plant in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Japan:
The Official Kewpie Global Site oversees multiple legacy high-tech factories across Japan that handle domestic distribution and direct exports to global Asian markets.
Yes, I have, but I seem to only use it on certain Japanese style foods. It is slightly different than other mayonnaises, with a certain flavor that I can’t quite put my finger on. I guess that’s what they call “umami”.
It would probably be good in potato salad or chicken salad, but I’m not sure I’d want it on a sandwich. Decent substitute if you didn’t have any real mayonnaise.