This Chuan Wa Zi Classic Chili Sauce was purchased at one of our local Asian markets, where it appeared to be a new item. It's a store with a vast selection of sauces and condiments, so we just may not have noticed it until now. At $3.99 for an 8oz. jar, we couldn't resist trying something different.
Although in a stylized font, the label reads: 辣 "là, spicy, hot", 椒 "jiāo, Sichuan peppercorn", 酱 "jiàng, sauce". Below the Wa! logo, 川娃子 means "chuān, Sichuan", "wá, child", "zi, son", or effectively, "Son of Sichuan", a term which became part of a patriotic rallying cry after a devastating 2008 earthquake. We couldn't find an image online that matched the label design of our jar. Periodic "refreshing" of product packaging seems to be a recurring theme among Chinese food products.
Main Flavor Elements
- Chili pepper
- Garlic
- Aromatic spices
Snapshot
- Base oil(s): Rapeseed, soybean
- Solids to oil ratio: Moderately high (>60% per label)
- Flavor Enhancer: MSG, IMP
- Potential allergens: Soy, sesame, peanut*
- Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
- Heat level: Medium
- Texture: Sesame seeds and chili flakes
- Saltiness: Moderate (350mg. per 15gm.)
If you like sesame seeds, this one has plenty, and they are the primary texture driver, on par with the chili flakes we'd say. The chili is still a little toothsome, maintaining a reasonable degree of toasted crispness.
There's a lot going on here ingredient-wise, and it seems to have a good balance of everything. The chili heat is omnipresent, with a moderate mount of mala numbing from the Sichuan peppercorn*. There's some sugar content, but we didn't necessarily find it sweet. The rest of the flavoring elements-- garlic, ginger, onion, unnamed spices-- have an interesting synergy. It's hard to single any of them out individually, but together it all works.
It's a little on the salty side, not unusual for this type of condiment, but we didn't find it as salty as some.
We're going to go ahead and categorize this one as a chili crisp. The solids are sufficiently al dente, and there's a good amount of allium.
Ingredients Roulette
Here we go again with add-on label ingredients vs. translations of online lists. Our jar's add-on label states what's in the section down below. Being mindful that this is a Chinese domestic market product whose original label contains no English, and therefore must have a label translating nutritional and ingredient info for US sale.
Online, at a vendor site, we found: "Rapeseed oil, chili peppers (>15%), sesame seed, peanuts, Sichuan peppercorns, MSG, salt, onion, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, spices, white sugar, chili oleoresin, paprika oleoresin, edible flavoring." That listing also boasts a far lower sodium content of 159mg. per 15gm.
But, since the jar we purchased was encased in a plastic membrane seal, we were able to remove the add-on label without damage to the jar label. Using Google Lens to translate what was found underneath, we have: "Rapeseed oil, soybean oil, chili peppers (>15%), salt, garlic, sesame seed, Sichuan peppercorn oil, refined seasonings, MSG, white sugar, ginger, onion, yeast, compound seasoning, spices, edible flavorings, DL-malic acid, disodium 5`-inosinate." Note that there is no mention of peanuts, and there are no peanut allergen warnings on this label. *We're also pretty sure what we tasted contains Sichuan peppercorn, which the add-on label does not include, Plus, it's right there in the name of the product..
Most frustrating in all this, is the fact that the manufacturer website doesn't even mention the product. Could it be discontinued?
Ingredients
Per add-on label: Rapeseed oil, soybean oil, chili peppers, salt, garlic, sesame seed, pepper oil, MSG, sugar, ginger, onion, flavored yeast extract, spice, food flavorings, disodium 5'-presenting nucleotide, DL-malic acid.
More Information
Brand: Chuan Wa Zi
Style: Chili crisp
Price Paid: $3.99 / 8.13oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: https://www.sccwz.com/
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