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Published on Leave a comment on Chuannan Peanut Chili Oil

We had to wait quite a while for this Chuannan Peanut Chili Oil to come back in stock at one of our local Asian markets. We could have ordered it through Amazon, but there it varied from $10 to $13 a jar. A little patience netted us this jar for a reasonable $4.79. We liked both the Chuannan Chili Oil Crisp and the Chuannan Spicy Chili Oil , and had high hopes for this variation.

Chuan Nan Sichuan Peanut Chili Oil Sauce jar

Translating the label, the oval logo and top line both read Chuān Nán or "Southern Sichuan" (川 = Sichuan, 南 = South), and below, in large characters, essentially "Great with rice". The smaller line under that just means "spicy oil" or "chili oil". The name "Peanut Chili Oil" came from what to us looked like company marketing directed towards the US consumer. We also see that some online vendors nickname this one "Xialicious", apparently a take on the large character line下饭香 (xià fàn xiāng).

Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Onion
  • Peanut
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Rapeseed (canola)
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG, (I+G)
  • Potential allergens: Soy, peanut, sesame
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderately high
  • Texture: Super chunky crunch
  • Saltiness: Moderately high (498mg. per 30gm.)

Compared to the other two, this one contains larger crunch elements, including crunchy peas and whole peanuts. The high solids ratio keeps everything mostly mixed on its own, a good thing since it's dense enough to make getting a spoon deep down into the jar difficult. It has substantial but not overpowering heat. Of the three Chuannan varieties, this might be our new favorite.

For comparison, see the NPG Sichuan Chili Crisp, which has similar ingredients, with a slightly milder heat, a little more sweetness and the fragrant umami of fermented soybean.

Ingredients

Rapeseed oil (non-GMO)(51.5%), peanuts, peas, chili peppers, onion, salt, sugar, MSG, disodium 5'-ribonucleotide, sesame seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, flavorings, spices.

More Information

Brand: Southern Sichuan / Chuannan
Style: Chili oil
Price paid: $4.79 / 9.3oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website:
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Published on Leave a comment on S&B Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil – Spicy

We really like the mild version of this S&B Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil - Spicy, so we hoped making it "spicy" wouldn't ruin what drew us to that other version. Let's check it out.

S&B Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil - Spicy jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Garlic
  • Chili
  • Onion
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Corn, sesame
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG (I+G)
  • Potential allergens: Soy, sesame, wheat
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderate
  • Texture: Crunchy
  • Saltiness: Medium (105mg. per 5g.)

We really like the S&B Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil - Mild version, so we wanted to see what a spicy take on it might be like. As with the other, the slivers of crunchy fried garlic really make the texture here. And other than the elevated heat, we thought everything else was about the same. Fortunately, the extra heat doesn't overwhelm, and actually plays nice with the myriad other ingredients.

On thing we did notice, however, was that the extra heat tends to negate the imaginary peanut flavor of the mild version. Still, we liked it, even though classic taberu rayu isn't supposed to be about the heat.

Ingredients

Corn oil, chili pepper, fried garlic (garlic, palm oil), sesame oil, monosodium glutamate, onion powder, salt, fried onion (onion flake, rice oil), sugar, chili paste (chili pepper, salt, rice), soy sauce powder (soy sauce [soybean, wheat, salt], dextrin, salt), ground sesame, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, tocopherols (antioxidant).

More Information

Brand: S&B Foods, Inc.
Style: Taberu rayu
Price paid: $7.49 / 3.88oz.
Country of Origin: Japan
Manufacturer website:
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Published on Leave a comment on Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Style Chili Crisp Oil

This Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Style Chili Crisp Oil came from a local Asian market. We originally thought this was the maker's de facto chili crisp, but we later became aware of a product they call Original Chili Crisp. Unfortunately, even though they sell a broad range of Lee Kum Kee product, the market doesn't stock it.

Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Style Chili Crisp Oil jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Garlic
  • Soy sauce
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Soybean
  • Solids to oil ratio: Moderate
  • Flavor Enhancer: (I+G)
  • Potential allergens: Soy, sesame, wheat
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Medium
  • Texture: Coarse paste
  • Saltiness: Moderately high (410mg. per 15gm.)

As chili crisps go, this style, or at least this particular one, isn't very crunchy. The texture of the solids is a coarse paste, or as we have seen some characterize it, a confit. The first thing that hits you is how salty it is, courtesy of (besides salt, obviously) the salted chili peppers and the soy sauce. Once you get past that, the heat of the chili, the soft garlic and the soy sauce begin to reveal themselves. There's only a little bit of sugar, and it doesn't seem to add anything, as far as we could tell.

There is no actual MSG listed, but there are some MSG-adjacent ingredients in its place.

All things considered, we liked the flavor profile, and assume the salt will be mitigated by actually consuming it with food. We really missed the crisp, though, and would have preferred it to have had some actual crunch.

We also tried to nail down just exactly what is meant by "Chiu Chow style", but couldn't come up with a definitive answer. Apparently, garlic and chili spice are key, as are umami additions which sometimes include dried shrimp or fish.

Ingredients

Soybean oil, water, dehydrated garlic, dried chili peppers, salted chili peppers (chili peppers, salt), soy sauce (water, salt, soybeans, wheat flour), salt, sesame oil, sugar, disodium 5'-inosinate and disodium 5'-guanylate as flavor enhancers.

More Information

Brand: Lee Kum Kee
Style: Chili crisp
Price paid: $5.69 / 7.2oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website:
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Published on Leave a comment on Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp – China

This Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp - China is a separate version you may or may not find in local stores. Definitely not the one sold by Walmart. That version is soybean oil-based and has a somewhat different flavor profile from this one, a rapeseed oil-based formula sold in the Chinese market. It can be distinguished from the former by its lack of English labeling, which is only included by way of an added adhesive label. We got this one at a local Asian market that carries both.

Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp - China jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Onion
  • Fermented soybean
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Rapeseed
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Soy
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Low to medium
  • Texture: Flaky fried chili
  • Saltiness: Moderate (405mg. per 30gm.)

We weren't sure what to expect from this version formulated for sale in China. We assumed it would be pretty much the same as the US export version most likely to be found here. Perhaps the substitution of soybean oil in the US version would add some flavor element that a neutral oil such as rapeseed would not.

What we did find were more in the way of differences in texture and contributions to overall flavor by other ingredients. Basically, we found a little less onion, a little more heat, and a more apparent contribution from the soybeans. We assume the latter are fermented even though the label is non-specific. They are not the crunchy variety, so we'll stick by our assumption.

The texture also differs. The solids lean more to the flaky fried chilis and al dente fermented soybean. The diminishment of onion flavor seems directly related to a loss of most of the onion crunch as well.

One other notable difference stuck out: no added preservatives in this version.

The flavor may seem a little "off" if you're used to the US export version. They may seem muted by comparison. Surprising, as the expectation was the US version might be geared toward more of a generic, Western mass market sensibility. We thought, however, after a few separate tastings, that this version is just fine, albeit different from the more onion-forward US version to which we've become accustomed.

The question we were left with was, is the version that most in the US are familiar with not really the most authentic after all? And is this Chinese version truly the OG that Tao Huabi originally concocted? Even without those answers, we found there's much to like in both.

Ingredients

Rapeseed oil, chili, onion, soybean, MSG, edible salt, sugar, pepper

More Information

Brand: Lao Gan Ma
Style: Chli crisp
Price Paid: $4.59 / 7.41oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website:
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Published on Leave a comment on NPG Sichuan Chili Crisp

We bought this NPG Sichuan Chili Crisp after trying the NPG Sichuan Chili Oil. That one was about as close to being a chili crisp without actually being one as we could imagine. We hoped we would like this one as well.

NPG Sichuan Chili Crisp jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Sichuan chili
  • Fermented black bean
  • Peanut and sesame
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Soybean
  • Solids to oil ratio: Extemely high
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Soy, sesame, peanut
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderate
  • Texture: Thick and crunchy
  • Saltiness: Moderately low (137mg. per 15gm.)

This one is super thick and crunchy. At first, we thought the peas and peanuts were just floating on the top, but, no, it's too thick. It's like the solids are just coated in oil, rather than immersed in it. The fragrant aroma of fermented black bean is apparent when opening the jar.

New to us is the inclusion of crispy, crunchy peas. The peanuts are mostly unbroken halves. The fermented black beans are dense and chewy. The sesame seeds are not plentiful, but you can taste them through the pepper.

The application of Sichuan pepper is once again even-handed. It supplies a moderate, lingering heat on the palate, not overwhelming the flavors of the copious solids. The sugar adds a bit of roundness that plays well with the heat and enhances the nuttiness of the sesame and peanuts. While not explicitly listed, we thought we detected star anise among the unnamed "spices".

Sodium is a low 137mg. per tablespoon, so not really that salty at all. Any higher, we thought, would have taken away from the complexity of everything else.

Normally $9.99, we got this one for $7.99 on sale. If you're interested in trying something different from the typical shallot/garlic/chile, this is one to consider. We're going to enjoy working our way through this jar.

Ingredients

 Soybean oil, soybean, pea, peanut, fermented black bean, sesame seed, Sichuan pepper, Sichuan chili, salt, sugar, MSG, spices

More Information

Brand: NPG / Natural Plus Green
Style: Chili crisp
Price paid: $7.99 / 7oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: www.naturalplusgreen.com
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Published on Leave a comment on NPG Sichuan Chili Oil

While this NPG Sichuan Chili Oil doesn't say "chili crisp" on the label, it certainly seems to qualify as one. NPG does, in fact make a product they call Sichuan Chili Crisp, but it is labeled as being milder than this one. Normally $11.99, we paid $8.48 on sale.

NPG Sichuan Chili Oil jar
NPG Sichuan Chili Oil sample
Main Flavor Elements
  • Sichuan chili
  • Complex aromatics
  • To a lesser extent, peanut and sesame
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Soybean
  • Solids to oil ratio: Very high
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Soy, sesame
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderately high
  • Texture: Thick and chewy
  • Saltiness: Moderate (205mg. per 15gm.)

This one is super thick and chewy. According to the label, it shouldn't be. There seems to be nothing in the first few ingredients on the list to support how coarse and plentiful are the chili-like solids here. However, further research reveals that pixian broad bean paste, a condiment unto its own, is made with a fair amount of chili pepper. So, what we're getting texturally must be the the skins of those beans and the chilis used to make it.

Peanut and sesame seed are listed, but they aren't visually apparent, nor easily identifiable on the palate. Only under close inspection are they revealed.

The application of Sichuan pepper is even-handed. The numbing effect it's known for isn't flagrant, and its spice works well with other, aromatic components. Together, there is a fragrant, floral, fruity heat that makes this one quite special. Did we just use the word flagrant in one sentence and the word fragrant in the next? Yes. Yes, we did.

At this point, we're going to backtrack a bit. Based on the lack of onion, shallot or actual soybean, we're going to rethink considering this one a chili crisp, and let the chili oil designation stand. But that doesn't mean we didn't like it.

Note to salsa macha lovers. If you like the La Anita Salsa Macha - Morita Pepper, you definitely need to try this one.

Ingredients

Soybean oil, pixian broad bean paste, soy sauce, vinegar, peanut, ginger, garlic, sesame seed, sichuan pepper, sichuan chili, salt, sugar, MSG, spices

More Information

Brand: NPG / Natural Plus Green
Style: Chili crisp
Price paid: $8.48 / 7oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: www.naturalplusgreen.com
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Published on Leave a comment on Fusion Select Chili Crisp Oil – Mild

This Fusion Select Chili Crisp Oil - Mild came from Amazon. We hadn't seen it anywhere locally, and it sounded good. $10 for a 6 oz. jar seemed within reason, so we went for it.

Fusion Select Chili Crisp Oil - Mild jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Chili
  • Soybean
  • Sugar
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Soybean
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Soy
  • Storage: Keep in cool dry place
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Medium
  • Texture: Crunchy
  • Saltiness: Medium (280mg. per 30gm.)

Once again, the ingredients shown on the jar in the Amazon listing did not match that of the actual jar we received (see below). The UPC codes are the same. Notably, the soybean is no longer listed as fermented, and the product is now absent preservatives. The order of ingredients has also changed, meaning there is now more or less of an item depending upon where it falls in the listing. One wonders how brands maintain a following when recipes are changed without apparent notice. Neither the maker, nor the US distributor appear to have any dedicated web presence to which one might refer.

Moving on. Upon opening the jar, the first thing you notice is the many whole, crunchy soybeans which have managed to make their way to the top. No mean feat, as the texture here is quite chunky. A quick taste reveals layers of onion and garlic, complemented by a level of sweetness. Only after swallowing does the heat of the chili assert itself at the back of the throat.

This is another one that, to us, has a bit of an identity problem. It calls itself a chili crisp, but in many respects is more like a taberu rayu. Sans the soybeans, and with a crunchier garlic component, this could easily be mistaken for that other Japanese condiment.

Although this one is marked "mild", we haven't been able to find any other version anywhere. However, we deemed this one spicy enough to not be left wanting for more heat.

If you really like this one, it's available on Amazon in multiples of two or three at significant savings over buying a single jar at a time. We'd give it serious consideration.

Ingredients

Soybean oil, chili, soybean, garlic, onion, salt, sugar, MSG, pepper powder

Soybean oil, chili, onion, fermented soybean (soybean, water), MSG, salt, sugar, pepper powder, sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite

More Information

Brand: Ace Solutions Holding, Inc / Fusion Select
Style: Chili crisp
Price paid: $9.99 / 6.18oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website:
Social media: