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Category: New Wave

Published on Leave a comment on Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Sauce – Sweet + Spicy

This Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Sauce - Sweet + Spicy is available from a variety of sources including Amazon, and, occasionally, local supermarkets, where it appears to be deemed not spicy enough to offend sensitive palates. A recent store reset at a local Walmart slotted it in and then immediately put it on clearance, just as it did with our favorite salsa macha from La Anita.

Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Sauce - Sweet + Spicy jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Brown sugar
  • Chili pepper
  • Soy sauce
  • Black vinegar
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Soybean, sesame
  • Solids to oil ratio: Relatively high
  • Flavor Enhancer: Natural
  • Potential allergens: Wheat, soy, sesame
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening for best result
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderate
  • Texture: Soupy, muddy
  • Saltiness: Medium (65mg. per 5g.)

Fly By Jing marketing apparently had a re-think and renamed this one from "Sweet & Spicy Zhong Sauce", but we doubt you'll find that labeling any more. The link on the company's website still reflects it having also been called "Zhong Dumpling Sauce".

Well, it certainly is sweet, compared to typical Sichuan chili oils. And it packs a little spicy heat, too. We tasted it on its own, and have to admit it did prompt a brief sneeze attack which quickly passed. The Chinese black vinegar provides a subtle acidic note as well as some sweetness of its own, courtesy of the sorghum it contains.

If you're paying close attention, you'll note this Fly By Jing variation isn't called a chili crisp, but rather (more accurately) a "chili sauce", even though it still shares a texture similar to their Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp – Original. Our preference would have been toward a little more crunchy allium.

The ratio of solids, if you can call them that, to oil is relatively high, but their texture is of a muddy sediment. Some might call that "velvety", but that's maybe being a little too precious about it.

Still, the flavor is unique among the dozens we've tried, and there's certainly a place for it among so-called "new wave" chili oil condiments. Don't be afraid to give it a try.

Ingredients

Non-GMO soybean oil, soy sauce (water, soybeans, wheat, salt), brown sugar, garlic, dried chili pepper, black vinegar (water, rice, wheat, sorghum, corn, buckwheat, salt, sugar), sesame oil, mushroom powder, spices.

More Information

Brand: Fly By Jing
Style: Sichuan chili sauce
Price paid: $6.00 - $9.99 / 6oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: https://flybyjing.com/products/zhong-dumpling-sauce
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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: https://hotcrispyoil.com/products/hotcrispyoil-hot-chili-garlic-oil
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Published on Leave a comment on Pono Hawaiian Island Chili Crunch – Spicy

This Pono Hawaiian Island Chili Crunch - Spicy came from Amazon. We hadn't before encountered a product in our search that potentially promised a Hawaiian take on chili crisp. Let's take a look.

Pono Hawaiian Island Chili Crunch - Spicy jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Sesame
  • Shallot
  • Garlic
  • Chili
  • Sugar
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Rice bran
  • Solids to oil ratio: Medium
  • Flavor Enhancer: Natural
  • Potential allergens: Sesame, wheat flour
  • Storage: Store in a cool dry place
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderate
  • Texture: Crispy crunchy
  • Saltiness: Low (105mg. per 15gm.)

Shallots and sesame take the lead here. The rice bran oil base makes for an interesting foundation. The solids-to-oil ratio isn't high enough to keep the sesame seeds in the mix, so they do float to the top, requiring a concerted stirring to distribute them evenly. The shallot pieces are large and provide the majority of a satisfying crunch. The chili lays back, even in this "spicy" version, and balances well with the rest of the flavors. There's just enough sugar to be noticed without muting the chili.

Pono Hawaiian calls this a chili crunch, which we've come to assume means somewhere in the realm of chili crisp and salsa macha, but technically neither. For categorization purposes, we'll put this one in with others we consider "new wave". We're not sure if it really evokes an island sensibility, but we liked it nonetheless.

As we've found with a number of infused chili oil products, online information often contradicts labeling when it comes to ingredients. Even more annoying is when manufacturers' own websites fail to adequately disclose specifically what's in their product. In this case, the vendor (Amazon) website claims this product contains sesame oil, Himalayan sea salt and yeast extract. The ingredient list below, taken directly from the label, does not. The label also warns against wheat flour as an allergen, but none is obviously apparent in the listing. Perhaps the product is made in a facility that also processes wheat.

Extra points for no MSG, no preservatives, gluten free and vegan/vegetarian friendly.

Ingredients

Rice bran oil, shallots, garlic, chili powder, sea salt, white sesame, coconut flower sugar, shiitake mushroom powder

More Information

Brand: Pono Hawaiian Foods
Style: New Wave
Price paid: $8.99 / 6oz.
Country of Origin: USA
Manufacturer website: https://ponohawaiianfoods.com/products/island-chili-crunch-6oz
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Published on Leave a comment on Momofuku Chili Crunch – Original

Momofuku Chili Crunch by Chef David Chang is one of what many consider a "new wave" product in the genre. It possesses elements of both chili crisps and salsas machas, along with some sensibilities all its own. A little pricey at $13 for 5.5oz, we found this Original version on sale at Amazon for just over $9.

Momofuku Chili Crunch by David Chang jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Puya chili
  • Coconut sugar
  • Onion, garlic
  • Japones and arbol chilis
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Grapeseed
  • Solids to oil ratio: Moderate
  • Flavor Enhancer: Natural
  • Potential allergens: Sesame
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Medium
  • Texture: Fine crunch
  • Saltiness: Low (25mg. per 3.3gm.)

The main chili flavor (and heat) here is courtesy of puya chili, slightly hotter than jalapeno, but fruitier and more complex. The sweetness of coconut sugar offsets the heat somewhat. Onion and garlic bring the allium. Arbol and japones chilis round out the pepper flavor. Umami comes courtesy of mushroom powder, yeast extract and seaweed. There's a lot going on in here.

The texture has a mild crunch mostly from the garlic, we assume, but perhaps some from undissolved coconut sugar as well. Similar to the Fly By Jing, there is a muddy texture to some of the solids, whether that's from ground peppers or the umami components is hard to say. Suffice it to say, however, that despite it being called a "chili crunch", we've had crunchier.

All in all, the varied ingredients play well with each other, giving a good balance of heat, spice, sweet, and umami. We would have liked a bit more pronounced texture, though.

Chef Chang offers four more varieties of his chili crunch, including Extra Spicy, Garlic (Mild), Black Truffle and Hot Honey.

Ingredients

Grapeseed oil, puya chilis, coconut sugar, onions, garlic, sesame seeds, japones chilis, chilis de arbol, mushroom powder, salt, shallots, spices, yeast extract, seaweed

More Information

Brand: Momofuku
Style: New Wave
Country of Origin: USA
Price paid: $9 / 5.5oz.
Manufacturer website: https://shop.momofuku.com/collections/chili-crunch
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