This Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp is for many their first exposure to chili crisp. We first learned about it watching a Youtube content creator use it to spice up an otherwise bland food he was reviewing. We looked for and found it at a local Asian market, but soon after found it stocked at Walmart as well. We learned that it was in fact considered to be the OG of commercially-sold chili crisps. It's fitting, therefore, that it's our first review here.
Translated, the characters in the yellow ovals on the label read: 香 "fragrant", 辣 "spicy", 脆 "crunchy", 油 "oil", 辣 "spicy" (again), and 椒 "chili pepper". For a deeper exploration of the subject, see Decoding Chinese Chili Crisp Labels.
Main Flavor Elements
- Chili pepper
- Crunchy fried onion
- Fermented soybean
- MSG
- Salt
- Sugar
Snapshot
- Base oil(s): Soybean
- Solids to oil ratio: Very high
- Flavor Enhancer: MSG
- Potential allergens: Soy
- Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
- Heat level: Low to medium
- Texture: Crunchy
- Saltiness: Moderate (340 mg. per 30 gm.)
Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp is heavy on the crisp. It has a much higher ratio of crunchy components to oil than some or maybe even most others. It lacks the numbing heat of Sichuan peppercorn, but that's not to say it's not hot. But, compared to some, it is relatively quite mild. Its flavor profile skews heavily toward the onion.
Most chili crisps direct you to stir the contents before serving because the crunchy parts settle to the bottom. This is less-so with Lao Gan Ma because it is more crunch than oil. The serving size listed is a hefty two tablespoons.
Lao Gan Ma also markets a similar product called Fried Chili in Oil. Basically, it removes the fermented soybeans and replaces the onion with peanuts for a different kind of crunch. We like it as well.
Ingredients
Soybean oil, chili, onion, fermented soybean (soybean, water), MSG, salt, sugar, pepper powder, sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite.
Chinese Version
It's possible you may encounter the Chinese version of the product in some Asian markets. Its formulation differs slightly from the US export version, and we review it here. We've also done a head-to-head comparison of the two versions.
If you find it, you may want to do a comparison of your own. We found the differences both unexpected and intriguing.
More Information
Brand: Lao Gan Ma
Style: Chili crisp
Price paid: $4.49 / 7.41oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: https://www.laoganmausa.com
Social media:
Available at Amazon.