[CalRobert]

I moved from the US to Ireland a year ago, and while I love it here the constant vigilance against sandwiches slathered in mayonnaise and butter can be exhausting. I go to the sandwich shop and they helpfully ask "Butter or mayo?" - to which I respond "mustard", and immediately reveal myself as an outsider.

I thought garlic fries, like the sort at Giants games, were delicious! Some garlic, olive oil, parmesan, etc. I was shocked to discover that here and in the UK garlic chips consist of chips (fries) with garlic-accented mayonnaise spread all over them.

And don't call it Aoli. That's just dressing up a disgusting condiment with a fancy word.

[vidarh]

I live in the UK, and the thing I thought summed up the British and Irish obsession with mayonnaise best was when I recently bought a hoi sin duck wrap at the local Tesco and it had "No mayo" in big letters on the front, as if the lack of may was something highly unusual and/or edgy.

Since then I've looked at the ingredient list of every other product with great suspicion, expecting to find mayo everwhere...

[dkersten]

I'm not an outsider, yet I always answer "no thanks".

I use butter and mayo for one of two things: flavour (eg I love kerry gold on toast ;-) often nothing else) or moisture - but if I don't need the moisture, usually because I've got tomato, peppers, coleslaw, relish or something else providing that, I will leave butter and mayo out. Unless I want them for the flavour. (As an side, I don't understand why people would ever want butter on a breakfast roll)

[stan_rogers]

"... usually because I've got tomato, peppers, coleslaw, relish or something else providing that..."

These are precisely the instances in which I would want something oily (butter, marg or mayo) as waterproofing for the bread. (Mustard also works, if it's appropriate for the sandwich.) "Everyone has the gout," as they (don't actually) say in French.

[CalRobert]

I feel I should give credit where it's due - while I'm no fan of butter on sandwiches, the butter here is fantastic, and makes for delicious toast, popcorn, etc.

I just don't need a peanut butter and butter and jelly sandwich.

[voyou]

Where were you in the US that didn't put butter and mayo on sandwiches? Both seemed to be standard on sandwiches I bought in the Bay Area.

[CalRobert]

Odd.. This would be Berkeley, Santa Monica, and San Luis Obispo.