Mayonnaise is a famous emulsified cold sauce made with eggs, oil and lemon juice. It is used to accompany many cold dishes, to prepare Russian salad and finally to season boiled fish.

Its name (which is an adaptation from the French "mayonnaise") seems to derive from Mahon, the main port of the island of Menorca, in the Balearics. In 1756 the Duke of Richelieu conquered this important center and, to celebrate the event, his cook prepared this sauce for him, baptizing it "mahonnaise" after the name of the island city.

It is considered a basic sauce since several sauces derive from it, such as remoulade.