This Lao Gan Ma Fried Chili in Oil is a variant of its chili crisp sibling. While Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp has a complexity all its own, this one offers a slightly different take more reminiscent of Sichuan chili crisps. While it characterizes itself as a chili oil, we classify it with chili crisps due to its preponderance of chili solids.
Translated, the characters in the yellow ovals read: 老 "lǎo, old", 干 妈 "gān mā, godmother, and 油 "yóu, oil", 辣 "là, spicy", 椒 "jiāo, chili pepper". 老干妈 also appears under the logo (where it makes more sense), but in a stylized font. For a deeper exploration of the subject, see Decoding Chinese Chili Crisp Labels.
Main Flavor Elements
- Chili
- Peanut
- Sugar
Prickly ash(see below)
Snapshot
- Base oil(s): Soybean
- Solids to oil ratio: Moderately high
- Flavor Enhancer: MSG
- Potential allergens: Soy, peanut
- Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
- Heat level: Medium
- Texture: Chunky, chewy
- Saltiness: Medium (510mg. per 30gm.)
Here, we have peanuts replacing the fermented soybean of the Spicy Chili Crisp. We also have the addition of prickly ash powder, which brings a subtle numbing effect similar to sichuan peppercorn.
What is prickly ash, you ask? Well, it's related to sichuan peppercorn, both being derived from plants in the genus Zanthoxylum. To illustrate the difference, it may be said that all Sichuan peppercorn is a type of prickly ash, but not all prickly ash is Sichuan peppercorn.
If you're a fan of what prickly ash brings to a chili crisp recipe, it's commonly available powdered in the spice aisle of Asian markets.
We're a bit perplexed by this one. Nutritional information varies widely as pertains to sodium. We've seen labels, not just online item descriptions, that state sodium as 170mg. per 30gm. serving. Our jar lists 510mg.
For a long time, we believed that this product had no Chinese counterpart version. It just didn't seem that any similar product appeared on the LGM China website. After more consideration, and naming inconsistency aside, we'd characterize it as the US export counterpart to Lao Gan Ma Chilli Sauce with Peanut.
As chili oil/crisp products go, however, we found it quite accessible, being moderate in chili pepper heat and satisfyingly chewy in the texture department.
Update
It would appear that prickly ash powder has been eliminated from the formula for this product. In the order of ingredients, it has been replaced by "pepper powder", the exact nature of which we're not sure.
Ingredients
Soybean oil, chili, peanut, MSG, salt, sugar, prickly ash powder, pepper powder, sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite.
More Information
Brand: Lao Gan Ma
Style: Fried Chili in Oil
Price paid: $4.49 / 7.41oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: https://www.laoganmausa.com
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