Oil and water normally separate, yet mayonnaise can hold an enormous number of oil droplets in a stable, spoonable structure. Learn how egg yolk components stabilize an emulsion, why droplet size and gradual mixing matter, what makes mayonnaise thick, and why an emulsion sometimes breaks. Inside this episode: - What makes an emulsion different from a solution - How egg yolk helps stabilize oil droplets - Why shear and gradual oil addition affect droplet size - How densely packed droplets create thickness - What changes when an emulsion separates Sources include peer-reviewed food-science reviews, university chemistry and extension material, and the United States standard of identity for mayonnaise. This episode is a researched narrative summary. Historical records may be incomplete, translated differently, or interpreted differently by scholars. ...