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Published on Leave a comment on EAPC Crispy Nuts Chili

This EAPC Crispy Nuts Chili came from Amazon. It popped up as a suggested product, and, being on sale, we took a chance. Normally $12, we got it for just over $9. Even from the photo in the listing, we could tell it would be a crunch fest. Let's see how it tastes.

EAPC Crispy Nuts Chili jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Sesame
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Soybean
  • Solids to oil ratio: Very high
  • Flavor Enhancer: Mushroom powder
  • Potential allergens: Soy, sesame, sunflower
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Low
  • Texture: Super chunky
  • Saltiness: Moderately low (190mg. per 15gm.)

We decided to open and taste before reading anything on the jar. Not recommended for those with allergies, but we are fortunate to not have concerns. The aroma is primarily of nuts. We thought we detected some warm spice like cumin, but it was not found on the ingredient list.

The heat from the chili is subtle, almost non-existent, really buried deep in the overall flavor profile. Odd, we thought, as it's the first ingredient on the list, even before the oil.

What ended up being the biggest surprise was that this is a product of China. Although the name really gave little or nothing away, we were virtually certain this was from Mexico, due to the almost salsa macha (seca?) texture and the presence of sunflower seeds.

Its lack of MSG or other such flavor enhancers was atypical for a Chinese product, but we thought the mushroom powder brought an interesting earthy note in addition to some umami. Also notably absent: allium. No onion, garlic or shallot.

We had to chuckle at the label: "Edible methods: Mix with cold dishes or eat directly." We almost did.

We're glad we tried this one. It's unusual, and we're trying to think of another that comes close. Maybe the Cholula?

Ingredients

Chili, soybean oil, peanuts, sunflower seeds, vegetable protein, sesame, edible salt, mushroom powder.

More Information

Brand: EAPC (USA) Trading Co, Ltd.
Style: Crunchy oil
Price Paid: $9.35 / 6.7oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: www.eapcusa.com
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Published on Leave a comment on Chef Shu Chili Oil Sauce

This Chef Shu Chili Oil Sauce also came from that new Asian Market. It was another one new to us, and its ingredient list looked promising. Let's see how it tastes.

Chef Shu Chili Oil Sauce jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Sesame
  • Peanut
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Canola, sesame
  • Solids to oil ratio: Moderately high
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Sesame, peanut, may contain wheat
  • Storage: Keep away from direct sunlight, in a cool, dry place
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderate
  • Texture: Sesame seeds and fine chili flake
  • Saltiness: Low (25mg. per 15gm.)

This jar was made to travel. Rather than a plastic shrink seal around the lid, the entire jar is encased in one. Smart. We've all encountered a leaky jar of chili crisp a time or two.

There are a lot of sesame seeds here, and together with the warm, slow-burn chili heat, they dominate the flavor. There's enough oil to allow a good portion of them to float up to the surface, so mix well.

There's a bit of málà numbing from the Sichuan pepper, but the onion, ginger and garlic are mostly subdued in the mix. The peanut is coarsely ground, and, going by the order of ingredients, we thought there would be more of it. We didn't get any real sense of sweetness from the sugar. The paprika we assume is more for color.

No real complaint to be made here. $3.99 for a big 8oz. jar is a bargain for a more than serviceable chili oil. Despite its relatively high ratio of solids to oil, we're somewhat on the fence about characterizing it as a chili crisp.

Compare to Liu Po Spicy Red Oil.

Ingredients

Canola oil, chili, sesame, peanut, Sichuan pepper, MSG, salt, onion, ginger, sesame oil, spices, sugar, paprika oleoresin, paprika, artificial flavor .

More Information

Brand: Well Luck Co. / Chef Shu
Style: Chili oil
Price Paid: $3.99 / 8.1oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website:
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Published on Leave a comment on Sunlee Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil

This Sunlee Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil came from a new Asian market we visited. They had several selections we hadn't tried before, this one among them. The copious amount of garlic seen through the glass caught our eye immediately, as did the low price for a reasonably large jar.

Sunlee Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Garlic
  • Chili
  • Sugar
  • Soy sauce
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Soybean, sesame
  • Solids to oil ratio: Moderately high
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Soy, sesame
  • Storage: Keep at room temperature away from direct sunlight
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Low
  • Texture: Crunchy garlic
  • Saltiness: Medium (340mg. per 15gm.)

If you like crunchy garlic, this is one to get. The jar is about 80% solids, mostly garlic. In fact, it's the first ingredient on the label, even before the oil. Sugar adds some sweetness, soy sauce a little umami, and citric acid a note of tangy brightness. The chili heat is warm and unobtrusive. It reminded us of both Mishima Chef Troy's Recipe Crunchy Garlic Chili Sauce and MW Polar Crunchy Garlic Chili Sauce, and both of which we thought were really good. The upside here being it's a low $4.99 for a big 9.52oz. jar.

We hadn't seen this one elsewhere before, but we'll be sure to get it again if we do.

Ingredients

Garlic, soybean oil, sugar, dried red chili, sesame oil, salt, soy sauce (salt, sugar, flavor enhancer (MSG), soybean powder, preservatives (sodium benzoate potassium sorbate)), citric acid.

More Information

Brand: Sunlee
Style: Taberu rayu
Price Paid: $4.99 / 9.52oz.
Country of Origin: Thailand
Manufacturer website: www.sunleeusa.com
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Published on Leave a comment on Hot Crispy Oil – Original

This Hot Crispy Oil - Original was found at Home Goods, which sometimes has a stray jar or two of such condiments. It was priced at $9.99 with the notation "compare at $13.00". We've found the comparison prices there to often be inflated above what a product typically sells for, and sometimes even the sale price is no better than purchasing through the item's regular channels. An online search in this case found a prevailing price of $14.99 at Amazon, so, apparently, we did OK.

Hot Crispy Oil - Original jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Chili pepper
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Olive
  • Solids to oil ratio: Moderately high
  • Flavor Enhancer: N/S
  • Potential allergens: N/S
  • Storage: Store in cool, dry place
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderate
  • Texture: Large, crispy solids
  • Saltiness: Very low (50mg. per 14gm.)

We could see through the glass the solids were huge. Slivers of garlic and slices of shallot, not just small chopped up pieces. They had settled to the bottom two thirds of the jar, but stirring them up a bit held them in a homogenous suspension long enough to spoon out a portion representative of all the ingredients.

The first taste of a small spoonful was revealing. The chili heat didn't hit until the back of the throat, where at first it seemed a bit mild. We were really amped about the very macro-style solids. The garlic and onion flavors are very forward, but we couldn't help thinking how much more umami they could have brought to the party with the addition of some kind of flavor enhancer, or even just a tad more salt. But they were quite crispy, as the name promises.

With a subsequent spoonful, the chili heat became cumulative, more pronounced, and we had to take a moment to fight off a sneeze attack. We assume consumption with food will mitigate this effect. The label only says "proprietary dried hot chili pepper blend" and "red pepper flakes", but doesn't specify what peppers are involved. We're also led to wonder how much hotter the "Hot" version is.

Cane sugar is listed, but we wouldn't characterize the product as sweet. We thought a little more might have actually gone along way to overcome a slight bitter aftertaste that we attributed to the shallots.

We noted the label indicates ground ginger and cumin, but even though we tried really hard, we weren't able to detect a meaningful contribution from either of them. They're last on the list, so the amounts must be trivial.

Olive oil is an unusual base for chili crisp/chili oil products, and we're not sure how we feel about it. Products including it that we've tried in the past have been "Made in USA", and with a focus on healthier ingredients, no allergens, no artificial flavor enhancers, vegan, etc. They lacked the chili heat of this one, though, so perhaps it was their blandness rather than the olive oil that makes us question its use in this application.

We usually think of chili crisps as having more chili solids than this product. That, and the olive oil lead us put this one in the "new wave" category.

All things considered, we're glad we were able to give this one a try. Is it hot? Yes, somewhat. Is it crispy? Yes, definitely. But we doubt we'll go looking to spend $15 for more of it.

Ingredients

Olive oil, fried garlic, fried shallots, proprietary dried hot chili pepper blend, red pepper flakes, cane sugar, paprika, salt, ground ginger, cumin

More Information

Brand: Hot Crispy Oil, LLC
Style: New wave
Price paid: $9.99 / 6oz.
Country of Origin: USA
Manufacturer website:
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Published on Leave a comment on MW Polar Crunchy Garlic Chili Sauce

This MW Polar Crunchy Garlic Chili Sauce came from Amazon. We'd been eyeing it for a while, after being impressed with their Crunchy Black Garlic Chili Crisp. The only thing holding us back was price, normally $7.99 for the small 4oz. jar. A price reduction to $6.70 prompted us to finally pull the trigger. Let's try it out.

MW Polar Crunchy Garlic Chili Sauce jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Sugar
  • Citric acid
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Soybean
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: Natural
  • Potential allergens: Soy, sesame, wheat
  • Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderate
  • Texture: Super crunchy
  • Saltiness: Low (105mg. per 15gm.)

Not too much in the way of aroma from the freshly-opened jar. Oil sometimes has a way of masking all but the most bold ingredients. As we said, it's a small jar, so getting a spoon in deep to mix things up was impossible. Fortunately, the contents looked pretty homogenous, so it wasn't really necessary. You can see how dense the solids are through the glass, and how big a ratio of them there is to the oil.

We could hear and feel the crunch as we dug our spoon in for a taste. And, as expected, it was quite crunchy on the palate. The texture reminded us of many taberu rayu as well as a few other chili crisps, particularly the Mishima Chef Troy's Crunchy Chili Garlic Sauce, whose name, appearance, ingredient list and small jar are all eerily similar. This one however, is superior in the crunch department, and a good deal less sweet. The citric acid gave a note of brightness we thought worked really well.

One last thought: Even though this is a product of China, we're categorizing it as a taberu rayu. It has far more in common with that condiment than it does a chili crsip.

We'll be getting this one again. If you liked the Mishima, and are also a taberu rayu fan, you should check it out.

Ingredients

Soybean oil, garlic, sugar, onion, chili, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, yeast extract, citric acid, paprika extract.

More Information

Brand: MW Polar
Style: Chili crisp
Price Paid: $6.70 / 4.03oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website:
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Published on Leave a comment on Fuyun Xiangbabao Crispy Peanut with Pea

When we saw this Fuyun Xiangbabao Crispy Peanut with Pea on the shelf at one of our local Asian markets, we knew we had to try it. Through the glass, you can see it's chock full of crunchy goodness.

Fuyun Xiangbabao Crispy Peanut with Pea jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Peanut
  • Pea
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Canola
  • Solids to oil ratio: Super high
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Soy, peanut
  • Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Low
  • Texture: Major crunch
  • Saltiness: Low (160mg. per 15gm.)

How crunchy is it? Well, note that peanut is the first ingredient on the list, even before the oil. The aroma of the just-opened jar isn't too revealing. We gave a stir as best we could, but digging down through all the large solids proved difficult.

The chili heat is minimal, but balances well against the nutty ingredients. Its effect is more of a warm afterglow. You can see the oil is not particularly red. The salt is also relatively quite low, and we didn't think it would have served any purpose to make it saltier. We're not sure what comprises the last ingredient, "spice", but we suspect star anise may be a part of it.

The soybean component appears to be both crunchy whole soybeans along with a lesser amount of small fermented soybeans.

Our only disappointment was the dating on the jar we bought. As is typical of most Chinese products, the imprinted date is that of production, and the label will specify shelf life, usually 18 months to two years. We're glad we reached as far back on the shelf as we could to get a jar with the latest date in stock, but it still put us at only two weeks remaining. It's surprising this one isn't popular enough to turn over stock faster, at least not at this store.

Overall, we found this one quite addictive, and could probably just eaten the whole jar by itself if we didn't stop ourselves.

Ingredients

Peanut, canola oil, peas, chili, sesame seeds, soybeans, salt, MSG, spice.

More Information

Brand: Wuhan Rong Fa Seasoning Food Co, Ltd.
Style: Chili crunch
Price Paid: $4.49 / 8.38oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website:
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