11 tie: Tasters were unimpressed with this old New England favorite. "Rather bland, nothing stands out," one wrote. $3.99/30 ounces (suggested retail price). (Michael Tercha/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

Mayonnaise is to a sandwich what peanut butter is to jelly. They just belong together: Imagine a BLT without a creamy doodle on top of that slice of sun-ripened tomato, or a smoked turkey club without a thin mayo mortar on the toast. And what’s a tuna salad sandwich without mayonnaise? Chuck the bread, toss in some green beans and anchovies and make a salade nicoise instead.

Indeed, millions agree about the importance of mayo, making it one of the top condiments in the U.S., with sales for 2016 reaching $1.93 billion, according to Mintel, a market research firm.

Yes, homemade mayonnaise is great on a sandwich — if you want to take the time to make it and aren’t put off by raw eggs (or have pasteurized eggs on hand). For the rest of us, there’s a jar of the prepared stuff waiting in the cupboard or refrigerator.

What mayo though? That’s where the debate begins. People swear by their favorite brands. We decided to put top mayonnaise brands up against each other in a blind tasting.

The Feds are very serious about what’s sold as mayonnaise in the U.S. There’s a very precise definition, that you can read here but, in short, for a mayonnaise to be sold as mayonnaise, it must be made with oil, an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice, and egg yolks or “egg yolk-containing ingredients.” After that, makers can add salt, sweeteners, spices (except saffron or turmeric or anything that mimics a yolk-y color) and monosodium glutamate, among other ingredients.

For the tasting, I purchased 13 brands, not all of which are technically mayonnaise under the government definition—- that’s why you’ll find Kraft Miracle Whip Dressing and Hampton Creek’s Just Mayo Spread & Dressing, a vegan brand, here.

I bought 10 of the brands at Chicago supermarkets that cater to the general public. Three brands were ordered via Amazon.com because they are more regional products not necessarily found here — and I wanted them in the tasting. Prices listed are what I paid (Amazon.com orders are duly noted) or the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (also noted).

This was a blind tasting, meaning that those who participated didn’t know which mayo was which. Each taster had the option of trying the mayo as-is or spreading it on Pepperidge Farm white sliced bread. They were asked to assess the mayonnaise in terms of appearance, aroma and flavor and to rank it on a score from 1 to 9, with 1 being poor, 9 excellent and 5 average. While there was a clear winner among the brands, most rated relatively close together, so there were multiple ties.

12: Tasters took a dim view of this mayonnaise, which earned an aggregate score of 3.4 -— almost half of Kewpie’s first-place rating. White, with a consistency one likened to Greek yogurt, this mayonnaise largely underwhelmed tasters. $3.49 for 30 ounces.

11 tie: Tasters were unimpressed with this old New England favorite. “Rather bland, nothing stands out,” one wrote. $3.99/30 ounces (suggested retail price)

11 tie: A yellow mayo, tangy with hints of salt and pepper. Two tasters looking for a diss likened this to the much-maligned Miracle Whip (which, ironically, scored better). $3.99 for 32 ounces

10: This glossy, light-yellow mayo had a strong lemony tang that most tasters found unpleasant. $6.99 for 16 ounces.

7 tie: Whole Foods’ pale yellow cream mayonnaise had an eggy flavor with a tang that left tasters divided. One thought it would be good on cold cuts; another thought it was “edgy but kind of out of whack.” $3.99/32 ounces.

7 tie: An old Southern brand, Blue Plate is a pale yellow mayonnaise with a slightly sweet flavor offset by a vinegary note that some tasters liked and others thought too strong. $3.89/30 ounces (suggested retail price).

7 tie: This creamy, off-white dressing had a marked relish- or pickle-like accent that almost overwhelmed the underlying flavor, which some tasters found sweet. $5.19 for 15 ounces.

5 tie: A house brand found at Jewel-Osco and Safeway, among other supermarket chains, this mayonnaise was butter-yellow with definite flavor notes that tasters described variously as lemony, hay and mushroom. $3.99 for 16 ounces.

5 tie: Matte yellow in color, this nonGMO, egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free product had a light texture and very mild flavor — too mild for some. “A very inoffensive version but lacking much intrigue,” one taster wrote. $3.99 for 12 ounces

4: The Duke’s fans I know love this iconic Southern mayonnaise. But it came in fourth with a 4.4 aggregate score. The off-white mayonnaise was creamy, not overly sweet and had a tangy hit appreciated by most tasters. But one grumbled: “Dull fatty texture and flavor”; $11.10 for 32 ounces (via Amazon.com)

2 tie: Thick, creamy and white, this mayonnaise offered great mouth feel but drew more comment for its sweet flavor notes. One taster, interestingly, compared this mayonnaise to what proved to be its Kraft sibling, Miracle Whip. $3.49 for 15 ounces.

2 tie: Very white and creamy, with an egg aroma, Hellmann’s was correctly identified by one taster who wrote, “This is all I want a jarred mayo to be.” Others were less effusive, describing it as fine or average. $4.19 for 15 ounces

1: This Japanese mayonnaise was the clear winner, earning a score of 6.6 that put it way ahead of the pack. It had a yellow yolk-y color and, thanks to the star tip atop the squeeze bottle, looked beautiful piped into the tasting bowl. The aroma was pleasantly eggy, the texture creamy. The eggy flavor was slightly tangy, with what one taster described as a “very pronounced” umami element. That makes sense given one of the ingredients is monosodium glutamate. $6.99 for 500 grams (17.64 ounces)