This Sunlee Fried Crispy Chili with Peanut in Oil also came from that new-to-us Asian market. The wording on the label checked all the boxes: crispy, chili, peanut. And the price was right, $5.49 for a towering 11.25oz. jar.
The Chinese characters above the English name read: 花 "huā, flower", 生 "shēng, raw, fresh" but together 花生 = "peanut", then 油 "yóu, oil", 辣 "là, spicy, hot", 椒 "jiāo, pepper".
Main Flavor Elements
- Chili
- Sugar
- Citric acid
Snapshot
- Base oil(s): Soybean
- Solids to oil ratio: High
- Flavor Enhancer: MSG, IMP,GMP
- Potential allergens: Soy, peanut
- Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
- Heat level: Low
- Texture: Soft and jammy
- Saltiness: Moderate (500mg. per 30gm.)
Another of those jars sealed to resist nuclear attack. We used the rubber jar thing, two in fact. One on the lid and the other to grasp the jar. Not until we put it into a full-on WWE headlock and bore down with all our might did the lid release.
Well, the name checked all the boxes, but the payoff was not as expected. The chili wasn't really crispy, nor was anything else. And the peanut, well, let's say there's peanut in here like there's pork in a can of pork & beans. That is to say minimal, a paltry amount, an afterthought. And the four peanuts we did find, all near the top, weren't the least bit crunchy.
Once again, all of the fried allium and the crunch and umami they bring are absent. No onion, shallot, nor even garlic. What's going on here? This stuff is from Thailand. Our mouths should be burning with heat and garlic, our faces sweating. But no.
Having said all that, we did like it for what it was. A nice, jammy chili concoction just spicy enough not to offend sensitive palates, but accessible enough to put on just about anything. And liberally.
Ingredients
Soybean oil, chili, peanut, sugar, salt, flavor enhancers (MSG, disodium 5'-inosinate, disodium 5'-guanylate), acidity regulators (citric acid) .
More Information
Brand: Thai Lee Foods / Sunlee, Inc.
Style: Chili in oil
Price Paid: $5.49 / 11.25oz.
Country of Origin: Thailand
Manufacturer website: https://www.sunlee.com/sauces-pastes/sunlee-fried-crispy-chili/
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