This Hot Crispy Oil - Original was found at Home Goods, which sometimes has a stray jar or two of such condiments. It was priced at $9.99 with the notation "compare at $13.00". We've found the comparison prices there to often be inflated above what a product typically sells for, and sometimes even the sale price is no better than purchasing through the item's regular channels. An online search in this case found a prevailing price of $14.99, so, apparently, we did OK.
Main Flavor Elements
- Garlic
- Onion
- Chili pepper
Snapshot
- Base oil(s): Olive
- Solids to oil ratio: Moderately high
- Flavor Enhancer: N/S
- Potential allergens: N/S
- Storage: Store in cool, dry place
Our Impressions
- Heat level: Moderate
- Texture: Large, crispy solids
- Saltiness: Very low (50mg. per 14gm.)
We could see through the glass the solids were huge. Slivers of garlic and slices of shallot, not just small chopped up pieces. They had settled to the bottom two thirds of the jar, but stirring them up a bit held them in a homogenous suspension long enough to spoon out a portion representative of all the ingredients.
The first taste of a small spoonful was revealing. The chili heat didn't hit until the back of the throat, where at first it seemed a bit mild. We were really amped about the very macro-style solids. The garlic and onion flavors are very forward, but we couldn't help thinking how much more umami they could have brought to the party with the addition of some kind of flavor enhancer, or even just a tad more salt. But they were quite crispy, as the name promises.
With a subsequent spoonful, the chili heat became cumulative, more pronounced, and we had to take a moment to fight off a sneeze attack. We assume consumption with food will mitigate this effect. The label only says "proprietary dried hot chili pepper blend" and "red pepper flakes", but doesn't specify what peppers are involved. We're also led to wonder how much hotter the "Hot" version is.
Cane sugar is listed, but we wouldn't characterize the product as sweet. We thought a little more might have actually gone along way to overcome a slight bitter aftertaste that we attributed to the shallots.
We noted the label indicates ground ginger and cumin, but even though we tried really hard, we weren't able to detect a meaningful contribution from either of them. They're last on the list, so the amounts must be minimal.
Re: Olive Oil
Olive oil is an unusual base for chili crisp/chili oil products, and we're not sure how we feel about it. Products including it that we've tried in the past have been "Made in USA", and with a focus on healthier ingredients, no allergens, no artificial flavor enhancers, vegan, etc. They lacked the chili heat of this one, though, so perhaps it was their blandness rather than the olive oil that makes us question its use in this application.
We usually think of chili crisps as having more chili solids than this product. That, and the olive oil lead us put this one in the "new wave" category.
All things considered, we're glad we were able to give this one a try. But we doubt we'll go looking to spend $15 for more of it.
Ingredients
Olive oil, fried garlic, fried shallots, proprietary dried hot chili pepper blend, red pepper flakes, cane sugar, paprika, salt, ground ginger, cumin
More Information
Brand: Hot Crispy Oil, LLC
Style: New wave
Price paid: $9.99 / 6oz.
Country of Origin: USA
Manufacturer website:
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