Skip to content

Tag: Lee Kum Kee

Published on Leave a comment on Lee Kum Kee Mala Red Oil Chili Sauce

We got this Lee Kum Kee Mala Red Oil Chili Sauce from a local Asian market we infrequently visit. To date, their selection of chili crisps and taberu rayu has been limited, but we were surprised to see at least a half dozen more SKUs in the category than before. We had difficulty judging how crispy the solids might be in this one, but, given the plethora of ingredients, decided to take a chance. We're always up for some good má là spice.

Lee Kum Kee Mala Red Oil Chili Sauce jar

Deciphering the label, in red we have 麻 "má, numbing", 辣 "là, spicy", then 红 "hóng, red" 油 "yóu, oil", followed by, in smaller black print, 辣 "là, spicy or in this case chili" 酱 "jiàng, sauce or paste".

Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili pepper
  • Sichuan peppercorn
  • Fermented black bean
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Soybean
  • Solids to oil ratio: Moderately high
  • Flavor Enhancer: Yeast extract
  • Potential allergens: Soy, wheat, coconuts(?)
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderately high
  • Texture: Jammy
  • Saltiness: Relatively low (60mg. per 5gm)

Well, it wasn't crispy as anticipated. We should have known, as LKK often relies on softer salted chilis for its chili component. The solids-to-oil ratio is high enough, however, to give it some structure when spooned out.

Shallots as the only allium other than some dehydrated garlic don't bring much to the party. Between the Yunnan chili pepper and Sichuan pepper powder, the alliums don't stand much of a chance, but then the má là spiciness is the stated focus here. We were a bit disappointed the flavor wasn't more complex.

A taste of it alone was about as expected: chili heat, Sichuan peppercorn numbing. We were confused, however, when we added some to plain rice noodles. The flavor began to morph into something we couldn't quite discern, an inexplicable sourness. Looking at the ingredients list, we couldn't really point a finger at just one thing, but suspect the fermented soybean.

Well, we knew we were taking a chance, but in the end we're not totally disappointed. We'll find something to add it to that will make it shine.

Label Change
Lee Kum Kee Mala Red Oil Chili Sauce old label

Unsurprisingly, there has been a packaging update. You may see this version of the label still in stock elsewhere. By our jar's BB date, we assume it to be the newer. Other flavor variety jars on the LKK website are shown in the same format as ours, but the Mala Red Oil is not shown in any version. Puzzling.

Ingredients

Soybean oil, sugar, salted chilli peppers (chilli peppers, salt), shallots, Sichuan pepper powder, water, fermented black beans (black beans, salt, water), soy sauce (water, soybeans, salt, wheat flour), chilli pepper powder, dehydrated garlic, spices, flavorings, yeast extract, paprika oleoresin, salt.

More Information

Brand: Lee Kum Kee
Style: Chili oil sauce
Price Paid: $8.99 / 7.2oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: https://usa.lkk.com/en/products/saucetype/chili-sauce
Social media:

Published on Leave a comment on Lee Kum Kee Chili Crisp – Smoky

This Lee Kum Kee Chili Crisp - Smoky was found at a new-to-us Asian supermarket. We're still searching for the LKK original chili crisp, and cannot fathom why four different local markets don't stock it. We'll try this one in the meantime.

Lee Kum Kee Chili Crisp - Smoky jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Hot chili
  • Garlic
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Soybean
  • Solids to oil ratio: High (~80%)
  • Flavor Enhancer: Yeast extract
  • Potential allergens: Soy, sesame
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: In your face
  • Texture: Soft, jammy solids
  • Saltiness: Moderate (90mg. per 5gm.)

This is one not to be toyed with. We found the level of chili heat impressive, demanding of respect. A single teaspoon tasted burned our throats for the better part of ten minutes. Water, sugar and milk did little to suppress its incendiary heat.

As you may know, capsaicin, the compound responsible for the sensation of heat in chili peppers can be neutralized, or at least mitigated by sugar like the lactose in milk. Admittedly, we may have taken too big a sample and swallowed it too quickly, but be advised to take care with this one. It might outclass Sichuan pepper in the heat department.

After we recovered, we took a more cautious approach, and sampled conservatively. The smokiness is there as promised, along with a good measure of garlic. The bold chili heat may have worked to the detriment of the other umami ingredients, rendering them almost undetectable. We'll have to revisit this one with food to see if that will balance things out and reveal more complexity.

An odd one here for the absence of the flavor enhancers typical of Chinese products, and which LKK is not averse to using. Only yeast extract in a minimal amount is present here.

But Is It Crisp?

Although most of the usual suspects are included for a chili crisp, none are of a texture we'd call crunchy or at all crisp. The solids here are all softly jammy, the plus being there's a goodly amount of them relative to the oil. But it's still quite soupy, characteristic of the "Chiu Chow" style Lee Kum Kee appears to embrace. Therefore, we're going to categorize this one as a chili oil rather than a chili crisp.

We looked on Amazon for the ingredients list for this one, and it was woefully incorrect. The information below, from the LKK website, matches that on our jar.

Ingredients

Soybean oil, water, dehydrated garlic, shallots, salted chili peppers (chili peppers, salt), smoked chili pepper powder, soy sauce (water, soybeans, salt, corn starch), sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, salt, yeast extract, spices.

More Information

Brand: Lee Kum Kee
Style: Chili oil
Price Paid: $9.99 / 8oz.
Country of Origin: china
Manufacturer website: https://usa.lkk.com/en/products/chili-crisp-smoky
Social media:

Published on Leave a comment on Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Style Chili Crisp Oil

This Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Style Chili Crisp Oil came from a local Asian market. We originally thought this was the maker's de facto chili crisp, but we later became aware of a product LKK calls Original Chili Crisp. Unfortunately, even though they sell a broad range of Lee Kum Kee product, the market doesn't stock it.

Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Style Chili Crisp Oil jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Garlic
  • Soy sauce
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Soybean
  • Solids to oil ratio: Moderate
  • Flavor Enhancer: IMP,GMP
  • Potential allergens: Soy, sesame, wheat
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Medium
  • Texture: Coarse paste
  • Saltiness: Moderately high (410mg. per 15gm.)

As chili crisps go, this style, or at least this particular one, isn't very crunchy. The texture of the solids is a coarse paste, or as we have seen some characterize it, a confit. Under refrigeration, it's slightly gelatinous.

The first thing that hits you is how salty it is, courtesy of (besides salt, obviously) the salted chili peppers and the soy sauce. Once you get past that, the heat of the chili, the soft garlic and the soy sauce begin to reveal themselves. There's only a little bit of sugar, and it doesn't seem to add anything, as far as we could tell. Outside of the saltiness, everything else is nicely balanced.

There is no actual MSG listed, but there are some MSG-adjacent flavor-enhancing ingredients in its place.

All things considered, we liked the flavor profile, and assume the salt will be mitigated by actually consuming it with food. We really missed the crisp, though, and would have preferred it to have had some actual crunch.

We also tried to nail down just exactly what is meant by "Chiu Chow style", but couldn't come up with a definitive answer. Apparently, garlic and chili spice are key, as are umami additions which sometimes include dried shrimp or fish.

Also available at Amazon.

Ingredients

Soybean oil, water, dehydrated garlic, dried chili peppers, salted chili peppers (chili peppers, salt), soy sauce (water, salt, soybeans, wheat flour), salt, sesame oil, sugar, disodium 5'-inosinate and disodium 5'-guanylate as flavor enhancers.

More Information

Brand: Lee Kum Kee
Style: Chili crisp oil
Price paid: $5.69 / 7.2oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: https://usa.lkk.com/en/products/chiu-chow-style-chili-crisp-oil
Social media: