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Published on Leave a comment on Lao Gan Ma Chili Sauce with Fermented Soybean – China

This Lao Gan Ma Chili Sauce with Fermented Soybean is the Chinese counterpart to the Lao Gan Ma Chili Oil with Fermented Soybeans product made for the US (and possibly others) export market. This version may or may not be available in your local area, even at Asian markets. We're lucky to be able to have access to both, and from the same store.

Just like on the US export version, the characters in yellow ovals read: 风味 "fēng wèi, special style or flavor", 豆豉 "dòu chǐ, fermented bean" and 油 "yóu, oil", 制 "zhì, made", 辣 "là, spicy/hot", 椒 "jiāo, chili pepper". For a deeper exploration of the subject, see Decoding Chinese Chili Crisp Labels.

Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Fermented soybean
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Rapeseed
  • Solids to oil ratio: Very high
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Soy
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Low
  • Texture: Soft chewy soybean, chili flakes
  • Saltiness: Moderately high (670mg. per 30gm.)

We liked the US export version for its tangy, fragrant, floral umami. The recipe here is largely the same, the only apparent differences being rapeseed oil vs. soybean and a lack of preservatives. Yet, the flavor is slightly different. A little saltier perhaps. And there's a certain something about the rapeseed oil.

The terms rapeseed and canola are often used interchangeably, but they're not quite the same. Canola is more neutral, whereas rapeseed has a certain character of flavor and a roundness of mouthfeel that canola lacks. We've noticed this quality in our Two Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisps? comparison as well.

While most consumers wouldn't likely notice a difference between the two versions, our deeper-than-usual interest in such products gives us an intriguing perspective. We liked them both, but the China version has a little certain something that, for us, gives it an edge. You shouldn't be disappointed with either one.

We compared the add-on label to a translation of the jar label, and decided that on the jar was likely more precise. We've found add-on labels often seem generic in their information.

Ingredients

Translated jar label: Rapeseed oil, fermented black bean (soybean, water, edible salt), chili, MSG, white sugar.

More Information

Brand: Lao Gan Ma
Style: Chili sauce
Price paid: $3.39 /
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: https://en.laoganma.com.cn/?type=productinfo&S_id=102
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Published on Leave a comment on Lao Gan Ma Chilli Sauce with Peanut

This Lao Gan Ma Chilli Sauce with Peanut came from a local Asian market with a large selection of Lao Gan Ma product. Certain items there are perennial, while others seem to rotate in and out of stock. This one we actually mistook for the Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp – China. When we asked the cashier to clarify the difference between this (or what we thought this was) and the Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp, all we were told was "this one has peanuts". Only after we had a chance to translate the label and search the UPC did we realize what had transpired.

Lao Gan Ma Chilli Sauce with Peanut jar

The characters under the LGM logo read: 油 "yóu, oil", 辣 "là, spicy", 椒 "jiāo, pepper". Though expressed in a stylized font, that's what we were able to come up with. Oddly, we couldn't find any characters indicating peanuts.

Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Peanuts
  • Sugar
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Rapeseed
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Peanuts
  • Storage: Store in cool dry place, keep refrigerated after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Medium
  • Texture: Crisp chili flakes and peanuts
  • Saltiness: Moderate (540mg. per 30gm.)

To better explain, as we said, we thought we were getting the China version of the Spicy Chili Crisp. But after trying it, we were happy to have found another chili oil/crisp to add to our arsenal.

We liked the rapeseed oil base, it provides a mellow roundness of flavor soybean oil often doesn't. The texture of the solids, which are copious, has a satisfying bite, and the peanuts add a welcome extra crunch. In addition to crushed peanut, there are whole peanuts as well.

No alliums here, but the sugar and a smidge of prickly ash add a certain something that made us not miss them. The latter leaves just a touch of Sichuan style numbness on the lips.

All in all, we're glad to have made the mistake and found a new flavor profile to enjoy.

More Ingredient Roulette

Once again, contradictory ingredient information online confounds us. The jar we purchased has an all-Chinese label augmented by an add-on label in English, with an ingredient list as shown in the section below. A translation of the label from Lao Gan Ma's China website says the product contains "rapeseed oil, chili peppers, peanuts, MSG, salt, sugar, Sichuan peppercorns". We weren't able to remove the add-on label from our jar to see what the Chinese verbiage underneath on it actually said.

Lao Gan Ma Peanuts in Chili Oil jar

A website showing an export version of the product with English labeling as seen in this image says this same UPC contains "soybean oil, chilli, peanut, salt, sugar, sichuan red peppercorns, flavour enhancer- e621 (MSG). It's entirely possible that there exists a situation similar to the two Lao Gan Ma chili crisps, where one contains the soybean oil-based formulation. What little portion we could see of the ingredients on the image appears to bear out this scenario.

What we've ultimately come to decide, however, is that the US export counterpart to Lao Gan Ma Chilli Sauce with Peanut is actually the Lao Gan Ma Fried Chili in Oil.

Ingredients

From our jar's add-on label: Rapeseed oil, chili, peanut, food additives (MSG), edible salt, white granulated sugar, prickly ash.

More Information

Brand: La Gan Ma
Style: Chili sauce with peanut
Price Paid: $3.99 / 7.4oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: https://en.laoganma.com.cn/?type=productinfo&S_id=117
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Published on Leave a comment on Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp – China

This Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp - China is a separate version you may or may not find in local stores. Definitely not the one sold by Walmart. That version is soybean oil-based and has a somewhat different flavor profile from this one, a rapeseed oil-based formula sold in the Chinese market. It can be distinguished from the former by its lack of English labeling, which is only included by way of an added adhesive label. We got this one at a local Asian market that carries both.

Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp - China jar

Translated, the characters in yellow on the label read: 香 "fragrant", 辣 "spicy", 脆 "crunchy", 油 "oil", 辣 "spicy" (again), and (obscured by add-on label) 椒 "chili pepper". These same characters appear in yellow ovals on the US export version. For a deeper exploration of the subject, see Decoding Chinese Chili Crisp Labels.

Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Onion
  • Fermented soybean
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Rapeseed
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Soy
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Low to medium
  • Texture: Flaky fried chili
  • Saltiness: Moderate (405mg. per 30gm.)

We weren't sure what to expect from this version formulated for sale in China. We assumed it would be pretty much the same as the US export version most likely to be found here. Perhaps the substitution of soybean oil in the US version would add some flavor element that a neutral oil such as rapeseed would not.

What we did find were more in the way of differences in texture and contributions to overall flavor by other ingredients. Basically, we found a little less onion, a little more heat, and a more apparent contribution from the soybeans. We assume the latter are fermented even though the label is non-specific. They are not the crunchy variety, so we'll stick by our assumption.

The texture also differs. The solids lean more to the flaky fried chilis and al dente fermented soybean. The diminishment of onion flavor seems directly related to a loss of most of the onion crunch as well.

One other notable difference stuck out: no added preservatives in this version.

Other Thoughts

The flavors may seem a little "off" if you're used to the US export version. They may seem muted by comparison. Surprising, as our expectation was the US version might be geared toward more of a generic, Western mass market sensibility. We thought, however, after a few separate tastings, that this version is just fine, albeit different from the more onion-forward US version to which we've become accustomed.

The add-on paper label on the jar we bought listed the ingredients as given in the section below. We went a step further and found the following (courtesy of Google Lens translation) on the Lao Gan Ma China website: Rapeseed oil, chili peppers, onion, fermented black beans (soybeans, water), MSG, salt, sugar, Sichuan peppercorns.

The question we were left with was, is the version that most in the US are familiar with not really the most authentic after all? And is this Chinese version truly the OG that Tao Huabi originally concocted? Even without those answers, we found there's much to like in both.

Ingredients

Rapeseed oil, chili, onion, soybean, MSG, edible salt, sugar, pepper.

More Information

Brand: Lao Gan Ma
Style: Chli crisp
Price Paid: $4.59 / 7.41oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: https://en.laoganma.com.cn/?type=productinfo&S_id=115
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Published on Leave a comment on Lao Gan Ma Chili Oil with Fermented Soybeans

Yet another variation in the LGM range of chili-infused oil products, this Lao Gan Ma Chili Oil with Fermented Soybeans was obtained at a large Asian market. We had hoped to find a larger selection of chili crisps there, coming away mostly disappointed, but picked up this jar while there. We're excited to try this take on chili oil flavor.

Lao Gan Ma Chili Oil with Fermented Soybeans jar

The characters in yellow ovals read: 风味 "fēng wèi, special style or flavor", 豆豉 "dòu chǐ, fermented bean" and 油 "yóu, oil", 制 "zhì, made", 辣 "là, spicy/hot", 椒 "jiāo, chili pepper". For a deeper exploration of the subject, see Decoding Chinese Chili Crisp Labels.

Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Fermented soybean
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Soybean
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Soy
  • Storage: Keep refrigerated
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderate
  • Texture: Softly chewy
  • Saltiness: Moderate (600mg. per 30gm.)

This time, fermented soybean is the flavor and texture driver. The solids are softly chewy, just below al dente. We're ambivalent as to whether to categorize it as chili oil or chili crisp.

The fermented soybean flavor is tangy, fragrant and floral all at the same time, and provides a different kind of umami. The chili contributes just a modicum of heat, and is well-balanced against the soybean.

Added sugar brings an interesting complement to both the spice of the chili and the flavor of the soybean. We assume it also slightly offsets the heat of the chili.

This one is more in the category of a Guizhou style chili oil than a chili crisp. Compare to Golden Chariot Chili Crisp with Fermented Beans, also not really a chili crisp, either, but with far more complex and aromatic spices than this one.

China Version

Although unlikely, you may encounter the Chinese market version of the product. Its appearance more closely mirrors that of the US export jar than other LGM China packaging.

The ingredients are largely the same as the US export version except, as we have seen elsewhere in the LGM universe, the base oil is rapeseed instead of soybean. We'd be interested in trying this version, if we could find it.

Update: We did find the China version months later at a nearby Asian market we more often frequent. We get the impression that this vendor may source their Lao Gan Ma product from more than one supplier. And that possibility may account for us finding either (or both) US export and China versions on the shelf there at any given time. We were also happy to pay a full $3 less from this more conveniently-located vendor, for the same size jar.

As with the Spicy Chili Crisp, this China version's ingredients differ slightly. Here, we have "rapeseed oil, soybean, water, salt, chili, MSG, sugar". Both the add-on label and LGM's China website concur. And, once again, no preservatives in the China formulation.

Ingredients

(US export version) Soybean oil, fermented soybeans, chili, MSG, sugar, sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite.

More Information

Brand: Lao Gan Ma
Style: Chili Oil
Price Paid: $6.39 / 9.88oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: https://www.laoganmausa.com
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Published on Leave a comment on Lao Gan Ma Hot Chili Sauce

This Lao Gan Ma Hot Chili Sauce is the next entry in our quest to try all of their chili oil-based products. It looks quite different from their Spicy Chili Crisp or the Fried Chili In Oil. It comes in multiple sizes, and the Asian market we obtained it from had this 9.88oz. jar. We hoped it would be as good as those others.

Lao Gan Ma Hot Chili Sauce jar

The characters in yellow ovals on the label read: 辣 "là, spicy/hot", 三 "sān, three", 丁 "dīng, diced/cubed food", 油 "yóu, oil", 辣 "là, spicy/hot", 椒 "jiāo, chili pepper". For a deeper exploration of the subject, see Decoding Chinese Chili Crisp Labels.

Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Peanut
  • Kohlrabi
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Soybean
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Soy, peanut
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Low
  • Texture: Crunchy and crunchier
  • Saltiness: Low (670mg. per 30gm.)

This one from Lao Gan Ma has a different sensibility from others of theirs we've tried so far. The first thing you notice about this Hot Chili Sauce is, well, it's not very hot. The heat from the chili is warm but relatively mild, leaving only a minimal amount of tingly numbness on the lips. There is initially a slight hit of pepper heat at the back of the throat if tasted by itself. There's no onion or shallot or garlic. It's not too salty tasting, even at 670mg. sodium.

There are whole peanuts for crunch and nuttiness, and crisp, crackly cubes of fried soybean curd for even more crunch. Kohlrabi gives a contrasting chewy cabbage texture and a vegetal flavor note.

While the brittle cubes of soybean curd were a little weird, we liked the overall flavor profile and varied textures of this one enough to consider buying it again.

Lao Gan Ma Hot Chili Sauce, Chinese labeling

Although unlikely, you may encounter the China market version at some point. The same characters found in the yellow ovals on the US export label are present under the LGM logo.

Interesting is the fact that the product is referred to on the China website as either "Chilli Sauce With Peanut & Beancurd & Kohlrabi" or (translated) on labels as "Spicy Three-Ingredient Chili Oil". Translated label ingredients largely match the US export, the absence of preservatives being an exception.

Ingredients

Soybean oil, chili, kohlrabi (fermented), peanut, beancurd (soybean, water), monosodium glutamate, salt, sugar, pepper powder, sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite.

More Information

Brand: Lao Gan Ma
Style: Chili crisp adjacent
Price paid: $5 / 9.88oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: www.laoganmausa.com
Social media:

Published on Leave a comment on Lao Gan Ma Fried Chili in Oil

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.

Lao Gan Ma Fried Chili in Oil jar
Lao Gan Ma Fried Chili in Oil sample

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
Social media:

Published on Leave a comment on Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp

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.

Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp label
Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp sample

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.