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Category: Taberu Rayu

Published on Leave a comment on S&B Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil – Yuzu

This S&B Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil - Yuzu is new to the line as of May 2026. We stumbled across the last jar in stock at a local international market, and snapped it up without a second thought. We'd figure out what yuzu was later.

S&B Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil - Yuzu jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Garlic
  • Chili
  • Yuzu
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Corn
  • Solids to oil ratio: Very high
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Soybean, wheat, sesame
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Low
  • Texture: Super crunchy
  • Saltiness: Low (90mg. per 5gm.)

We really like the previous S&B offerings and were excited to see what this new flavor variation was all about. As with the other S&B, this one has the kind of crunch level against which all others must be measured. The garlic is also among the best we've tried in terms of overall flavor and lack of bitterness.

Now, to the yuzu. We learned that it's a citrus fruit grown primarily in Asia and, although not very juicy, is aromatic and combines the sharp flavors of lemon, mandarin orange, and grapefruit. How this would translate to a taberu rayu, we weren't certain. The label reveals the flavoring here is achieved via a "naturally and artificially flavored yuzu textured soy protein". We thought perhaps the aim here was something similar to other crunchy garlic products that include citric acid or citric acid powder.

The actual taste was surprising. A spoonful alone starts out tasting primarily of garlic, but, gradually, the yuzu flavor just kind of blooms out of nowhere before fading in a short finish. We ultimately decided we preferred this at least more natural-tasting citrus flavor. And it just may have ruined for us all those others that try to add this type of bright note more simply with plain citric acid powder.

Ingredients

Corn oil, chili pepper, naturally & artificially flavored yuzu textured soy protein (textured soy protein, powdered sugar, rice oil, yuzu juice powder, citric acid, malic acid, natural and artificial flavor), sesame oil, monosodium glutamate, onion powder, salt, fried garlic (garlic, palm oil), fried onion (onion flake, rice oil, tocopherols (antioxidant)), sugar, chili paste (chili pepper, salt, rice), soy sauce powder (soy sauce [soybean, wheat, salt], dextrin, salt), ground sesame, citric acid, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, natural flavor, tocopherols (antioxidant)..

More Information

Brand: S&B Foods, Inc.
Style: Taberu rayu
Price paid: $6.99 / 3.88oz.
Country of Origin: Japan
Manufacturer website: https://www.sbfoods-worldwide.com/products/search/073.html
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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: https://www.sunleeusa.com/product/d572sl10-sunlee-crunchy-garlic-with-chili-oil-24-x10-oz/
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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: https://mwpolar.com/products/polar-crunchy-garlic-chili-sauce-4-03-oz-multiple-pack-sizes-available
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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 IMP,GMP
  • 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: https://www.sbfoods-worldwide.com/products/search/036.html
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Published on Leave a comment on Momoya Chili Oil with Fried Garlic

Momoya Chili Oil with Fried Garlic is from Japan and made in the taberu rayu style. It's often sold without additional labeling in English, so getting an idea of what it's about up front can be somewhat difficult. The head of garlic and the chili pepper on the label give a clue, but there's a lot more than meets the eye here. We got this one from Amazon.

Momoya Chili Oil with Fried Garlic jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Garlic
  • Sugar
  • Sesame
  • Onion
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Rapeseed, sesame
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: No Yes
  • Potential allergens: Wheat, sesame, soybean
  • Storage: Store away from direct sunlight. Refrigerate after opening.
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Low
  • Texture: Crunchy
  • Saltiness: Low (256mg. per 16gm.)

It's not too salty, if both our calculations and what our tastebuds are telling us are correct. The translation of the nutritional information isn't in the standard format.

One look at the ingredients, and you'll see there's a lot going on in there. So much, in fact, it's difficult to isolate the individual components from a sample tasting. Suffice it to say, however, they have a synergy that works quite well.

We appreciated the high solids to oil ratio, and the satisfying level of crunchiness. And we definitely liked how, similar to the S&B, it has a peanut-y character without actually containing any peanuts. Definitely going to switch out peanut sauce for this one, the next time we have spring rolls.

A little pricey at around $8 for 3.88 oz, but we think worth it.

Update: The latest jar we obtained now has ingredients listed in English. We had previously used Google Lens to translate the Japanese on the jar itself. While many ingredients are the same, just worded differently, two glaring differences stood out. One, the addition of MSG, and two, the deletion of a seasoning and an antioxidant.

Ingredients

Edible rapeseed oil, fried garlic, edible sesame oil, chili pepper, fried onions, MSG, sugar, salt, chili miso paste (contains soybeans), paprika, ground sesame, onion powder, powdered soy sauce (contains wheat), powdered chili miso paste, seasoning (amino acid), antioxidant (vitamin E).

More Information

Brand: Momoya
Style: Taberu rayu
Price paid: $7.77 / 3.88oz.
Country of Origin: Japan
Manufacturer website: https://www.momoya.co.jp
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Published on Leave a comment on Mishima Chef Troy’s Recipe Crunchy Garlic Chili Sauce

From Thailand, Mishima Chef Troy's Recipe Crunchy Garlic Chili Sauce is made in the taberu rayu style, heavy on the garlic and the aromatic solids. It was purchased from Amazon after reading favorable reviews elsewhere.

Main Flavor Elements
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Chili
  • Soy Sauce
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Soybean, sesame
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: Natural
  • Potential allergens: Soy, wheat, sesame
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Mild
  • Texture: More chewy than crunchy
  • Saltiness: Moderate (350 mg. per 15 gm.)

We liked Mishima Chef Troy's Recipe Crunchy Garlic Chili Sauce a lot. It checks multiple savory and umami flavor boxes. The various components are well-balanced and play together nicely. If we had to quibble about anything it would be that 1) it's relatively expensive for what you get, the smallish 4 oz. jar averages around $8 if purchased individually, and 2) the small jar mouth makes re-mixing the solids difficult.

Ingredients

Soybean Oil, Garlic,Sesame Oil, Onion, Sugar, Salt, Chili, Soy Sauce, Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Paprika Extract. Allergy Information: Contains Soy and Wheat

More Information

Brand: Mishima Foods
Style: Taberu rayu
Price paid: $6.79 / 4oz.
Country of Origin: Thailand
Manufacturer website: https://mishima.com/
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Published on Leave a comment on S&B Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil – Mild

S&B Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil is from Japan. While similar in many ways to traditional Chinese chili crisps, it has its own sensibility that is distinctively Japanese.

S&B Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil label
S&B Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil - Mild sample
Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili pepper
  • Fried garlic
  • Sesame oil
  • Monosodium glutamate
  • Onion powder
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Soy sauce powder
  • Chili paste
  • Fried onion
  • Almond
  • Ground sesame seeds
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Corn, sesame
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG IMP,GMP
  • Potential allergens: Soy, wheat
  • Storage: "Consume soon after opening"
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Mild
  • Texture: Satisfyingly crunchy
  • Saltiness: Moderately high (540 mg. per 30 gm.)

As with many taberu rayu, the crunch is the thing, and this one's got it. As expected, the main flavor here is garlic, and there are plenty of crunchy fried slivers in the mix.

The crunch to oil ratio is quite high, similar to that of the Lao Gan Ma chili crisp. Refrigerated, it almost turns into a solid.

What we enjoyed about it most was the combination of ingredients giving it a peanut-y character, even though there are no peanuts in it. We also found this to be true of the Momoya Chili Oil with Fried Garlic, which we very much liked. Both are similar, although the S&B has a tad more chili flavor.

As the label notes, heat-wise it is mild. A "spicy" version also exists for those who want a little more heat.

Ingredients

Corn oil, Chili pepper, Fried garlic, Sesame oil, Monosodium glutamate, Onion powder, Salt, Sugar, Soy sauce powder (Soy sauce [Soybeans, Wheat, Salt], Dextrin, Salt), Chili paste (Chili pepper, Salt, Rice), Fried onion, Almond, Ground sesame seeds, Disodium guanylate, Disodium inosinate, Mixed tocopherols.

Revised Formula

A "new formula" of the S&B Mild version removes the almond in favor of extra onion and an adjustment of the ratios of some of the other ingredients. It has the same UPC code, so it is a replacement, not a new variant. It will also be about 11% lower in sodium. Fortunately, it doesn't appear to detract from the satisfying level of crunch. Jars with "best by" dates of November 11, 2026 and after will contain the new formulation.

Available on Amazon.

More Information

Brand: S&B Foods, Inc.
Style: Taberu rayu
Price paid: $7.49 / 3.88oz.
Country of Origin: Japan
Manufacturer website: https://www.sbfoods-worldwide.com/lp/us/umamitopping/
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