 N-heterocyclic carbonis, NHCs, have emerged as a powerful class of organocatalysts that mediate a variety of organic transformations. The benzoin reaction constitutes one of the earliest known carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions catalyzed by NHCs. The rapid growth of NHC catalysis in general has resulted in the development of a variety of benzoin and benzoin-type reactions. An overview of such NHC-catalyzed benzoin reactions is presented. This article was offered by Rajiv S. Menon, Kata T. Biju and Vijay Nair.