History and origin
The mild, stable garlic mayonnaise of Spanish bar counters
Egg alioli is the version that rules the bar counter: technically a garlic mayonnaise — also called ajonesa — milder and more stable than the primitive garlic-and-oil alioli. It goes with potatoes, fried squid, fish, grilled meats and sandwiches.
True traditional alioli is an emulsion of garlic, oil and salt worked by hand in a mortar; the name comes from the Catalan all i oli, "garlic and oil", and the Real Academia Española historically described it as garlic crushed with oil to a butter-like texture. The egg came later to ease the emulsion, and that version spread through Spanish hospitality.
In Almería, patatas alioli are among the traditional tapas cited by the city's own tourism office: few tables escape their shiny white bowl.
The home bowl deserves the same caution as a professional kitchen: preferably a pasteurised egg or egg product, immediate chilling and quick consumption. Spain's food safety agency (AESAN) notes that uncooked raw-egg preparations remain fragile: lemon or vinegar improve the taste but never turn the bowl into a preserve.
