Aïoli is a garlicky Provençal mayonnaise made by pounding garlic with oil, salt and egg yolks until it's emulsified into a thick, creamy sauce. Take out the garlic and add mustard and you have a basic mayonnaise.

You can eat aïoli with vegetables, cold meats, hard-boiled eggs, poached fish or snails. It can also be spread on baguette croutons and eaten with Provençal fish soup. Australians eat it with fries. Aïoli is served at room temperature.

Spanish allioli is a similar sauce that was originally made without egg yolks, but now usually is.