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Published on Leave a comment on Chingonas Salsa Macha

This Chingonas Salsa Macha came from a local gourmet catering/retail operation we'd seen online. The ingredients sounded intriguing, including some spices we're not used to seeing in a salsa macha. Despite the hefty $12.99 price, we decided to see what it was about.

Chingonas Salsa Macha jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Peanut and sesame
  • Onion and garlic
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Rice bran
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: Mushroom powder
  • Potential allergens: Peanut, sesame
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderate
  • Texture: Crunchy in the best way
  • Saltiness: High (1gm. per 13gm.)

The solids to oil ratio is a bit higher than the stock photo found online would seem to indicate. Upon close inspection, the oil content is much further down the list than any we've seen. But that's OK with us. The crunchier, the better.

What initially caught our eye was cumin, ginger and black pepper, and all being high on the list and ahead of even the sesame and peanut. Onion and garlic bring up the rear.

Salsa machas typically don't contain MSG or similar flavor enhancers, relying more on the combination of chiles, nuts, seeds, onion and garlic to provide plenty of flavor on their own. That's why we found mushroom powder, more often seen in new wave chili crisps, to be an unusual addition.

Digging in, the solids predominate, and we could tell from the sound of the spoon struggling to dive deep to stir things up it was going to be the crunch we were looking for. It didn't require much mixing, though, what with the oil content being so low. Any lower and it would be a salsa seca.

The first taste was a revelation. The chile heat is forward but not overpowering, and it lingers on the finish. The flavor of the crushed peanut, sesame seeds, alliums and seasonings are all in wonderful balance. And so is the texture, with all the solids sized close together, letting every spoonful consistently represent all aspects of the recipe while delivering a satisfying crunch. A big thumbs-up to both.

If we had any quibble, it's the salt. We disbelieved the label claim of 1gm. per 13gm. serving. That's quite high, with 300-400mg. per serving more the norm. Initially, we didn't perceive it as all that salty, but, when giving it a second assessment, agreed the label might be correct. In any case, condiments aren't made to be consumed directly (although we are guilty of it from time to time), so its typical addition to food should not make it a problem.

While we initially thought the $12.99 was a little spendy, we see it to be in line with the average price across online vendors. After tasting it, we'd say it's worth it.

Ingredients

Dried chilis, cumin, mushroom powder, ginger, black pepper, kosher salt, sugar, peanuts, sesame seeds, rice bran oil, shallots, garlic.

More Information

Brand: Red Table Management / Chingonas
Style: Salsa macha
Price paid: $12.99 / 6oz.
Country of Origin: USA
Manufacturer website:
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Published on Leave a comment on Fanpi Brothers Spicy Bell Pepper Sauce

When is a chili crisp not a chili crisp? When it's Fanpi Brothers Spicy Bell Pepper Sauce, sold on Amazon described as "Chili Crisp Hot Sauce, 8.75oz Jar, Authentic Chinese Spicy Sauce Condiment". We're always looking for new chili crisps to try. And, at a discounted price off the regular $14.99 for a nearly 9oz. jar, we were willing to take a chance. Caveat emptor.

Fanpi Brothers Spicy Bell Pepper Sauce jar
Fanpi Brothers Spicy Bell Pepper Sauce label
Main Flavor Elements
  • Hot pepper
  • Garlic
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Rapeseed
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Peanut, sesame
  • Storage: Store in cool, dry place, refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Extremely high
  • Texture: Jarred Mexican pico de gallo
  • Saltiness: Moderate (390mg. per 15gm.)

After we opened the jar, to great disappointment, we searched and found the product described differently. One, as "Hunan-style Spicy Bell Pepper Sauce, Garlic Chili Sauce, and Chopped Chili Sauce". Elsewhere, it's called "Colorful Pepper Sauce", with which our translation of the label concurred. This is a more accurate depiction of what this product is, essentially a Chinese version of a Mexican salsa, and a hot one at that.

No toasted dried pepper flakes. Sadly, no crunch. None of the usual alliums besides garlic. No chili-infused red tint to the oil. All the peppers are soft as if pickled, having only a little raw vegetable crispness. Bottom line: Not a chili crisp.

There might have been potential here for some chili oil-adjacent use, but the bird's eye chili heat was really all we could taste. It totally obscured any of the other seasoning ingredients. The label indicates it's intended for use with rice dishes. We might be able to salvage it by using it as a cooking seasoning, somewhere we can tone down the-over-the-top heat.

We used a translation app to discover the ingredients and other info. The label is entirely in Chinese with the add-on English labeling giving only the nutritional breakdown.

Ingredients

Bird's eye chili, green chili, yellow chili, rapeseed oil, garlic, ginger, crushed peanuts, sesame seed, spices, salt, sugar, MSG, compound seasoning.

More Information

Brand: Fanpi Brothers
Style: Hunan bell pepper sauce
Price Paid: $12.52 / 8.75oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website:
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Published on Leave a comment on Szechuan Flavor Crispy Chili Oil

This Szechuan Flavor Crispy Chili Oil came from a local Asian market which stocks a variety of brands of chili oils and chili crisps. We had seen this one reviewed online, and it sounded good. We're glad to have found it locally and at a good price. Yes, the label does not say "crispy chili oil". More on that later.

Szechuan Flavor Crispy Chili Oil jar

It's known as "Szechuan Flavor" brand, seen in small print within the logo, but Chuanzhiwei is the brand name also given by many Asian online supermarkets. The characters just under the logo read: 川 "chuān, Szechuan/Sichuan", 知 "zhī, to know", 味 "wèi, taste".

Next, at upper left of the product name we have: 香 "xiāng, fragrant", 酥 "sū, crispy". The main, large characters, difficult to make out, allegedly read: 油 "yóu, oil", 辣 "là, spicy, hot", 子 "zǐ, seeds or fruit, i.e the peppers".

Finally, the small gold square at upper right reads: 经 "jing, authoritative" and 典 "dian, standard", together meaning "classic", then 香 "xiāng, fragrant" and 辣 "là, spicy, hot". Altogether, they indicate "classic spicy".

Labeling Inconsistencies
Szechuan Flavor Crispy Chili Oil jar

To explain the label inconsistency, the same UPC is seen labeled as "Crispy Chili Oil". Additionally, there is yet another UPC also labeled "Hot Chili Sauce" which does not contain peanuts or soybeans. And finally, our jar obviously contains peanuts and soybeans, but they don't appear among the listed ingredients. But there is a disclaimer at the bottom of the label stating "Allergen information: This product contains Peanut, Soybean."

It is our assumption (for now) that what we have in hand has since been renamed "crispy chili oil", and that some confusion surrounding that at the factory has led our jar to be mis-labeled.

Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Peanuts
  • Soybeans
  • Sesame seeds
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Rapeseed
  • Solids to oil ratio: Medium (~60%)
  • Flavor Enhancer: N/S
  • Potential allergens: Soy, peanuts, sesame
  • Storage: Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderate
  • Texture: Crunchy, nutty
  • Saltiness: Very low (10mg. per 28gm.)

It's a unique, oddly-shaped container. The lid even includes a little handle that swivels out to make carrying the unwieldy shape a little easier. It's also huge, relatively speaking, at just over a pound and a half net weight.

The solids other than the sesame seeds congregate at the bottom, while the sesame seeds all float at the top. As such, it takes a bit of deftness to stir things up in a way that gets you a somewhat reasonable representation of everything into a spoonful. The rapeseed oil gives it that mellow roundness we like.

The chili heat here is moderate and steady, with the Sichuan peppercorn providing only a modicum of that má là numbing. For those who don't mind this heat level, we could see this one being a daily driver left out on the table for ready use. The label does not indicate that refrigeration is necessary.

The peanuts and soybeans have a good crisp crunch to them, and combined with the sesame seeds give a nice nutty contrast to the chili.

Salt is atypically low for this type of condiment, only 10mg per 28gm. We saw that as a double bonus. One, you can apply it liberally without turning your meal into a sodium bomb. And, two, since salt doesn't dissolve in oil very well (if at all), when you (finally) get towards the bottom of this jar, you won't be left with excruciatingly unbearable levels of saltiness.

No alliums means we're categorizing this one as a chili oil rather than a chili crisp, regardless of the revised name.

Overall, we liked it. It's not reinventing the wheel in this category by any means. But the heat and nuttiness are nicely balanced, making it very approachable. And, finally, it's quite a bargain at $8.99 for just over 24oz. of product.

Ingredients

Rapeseed oil, chili powder, sesame seeds, spices, peanuts, and soybeans.

More Information

Brand: Sichuan Cuihong Food Co, Ltd / Chuanzhiwei / Szechuan Flavor
Style: Chili oil with sesame, peanut and soybean
Price Paid: $8.99 / 1lb 8.69oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website:
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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 Zhongba Sichuan Chili Crisp

This Zhongba Sichuan Chili Crisp came from Amazon. Our criteria for purchasing it included the intriguing ingredients and the interesting graphics of the label, whose only English language verbiage was, "Chuan Xiang You Lazi" or, translated, "Sichuan style chili oil".

Zhongba Sichuan Chili Crisp jar

Above the wealth god image, the simplified Chinese 送 财 添 味 translates as "sending wealth and adding flavor", i.e. just marketing jargon.

Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Peanut
  • Sesame
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Rapeseed
  • Solids to oil ratio: Moderately high
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG
  • Potential allergens: Peanut, soy, sesame
  • Storage: Keep in cool, dry place
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderate
  • Texture: Nutty crunch
  • Saltiness: Medium (468mg. per 30gm.)

The aroma is promising, subtly nutty. And no wonder, as it has peanuts, sesame, soybean and peas. The chili pepper heat and flavor are well-integrated with the rest of the ingredients, not overshadowing them. We thought we detected a note of some kind of chicken bouillon powder, but it does not appear among the ingredients. The sugar rounds out the flavor profile but doesn't make the overall impression one of sweetness. The MSG also seems judiciously-applied, letting the rest of the ingredients supply the majority of the umami. Were were puzzled by the absence of Sichuan pepper, but in all honesty, didn't miss it in this case.

This one was a pleasant surprise, for both its texture and balanced flavor. We'd get it again.

We had a hard time nailing down the ingredients list. We went back and forth over one item. The Amazon listing said it contains fermented soybean, even going so far as to call it by its Chinese name, "douchi". But we didn't detect the character of it at all. Instead, we relied on a Google Lens translation of the label, that merely said "soybeans", which seemed more accurate to us. But then we went back into the jar for a forensic examination. Turns out there are indeed fermented soybeans in there, but they're smaller, crunchier and saltier than those we've experienced in the past, the Lao Gan Ma Chili Oil with Fermented Soybeans being our frame of reference.

Ingredients

Rapeseed oil, chili pepper, peas, peanuts, fermented soybeans (douchi), edible salt, white sugar, sesame seeds, monosodium glutamate, spices, paprika, food flavoring.

More Information

Brand: Sichuan Qingxiangyuan Seasoning Co, Ltd.
Style: Chili crisp
Price Paid: $9.99 / 6.35oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website:
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Published on Leave a comment on Samar Spice Chili Crisp

This Samar Spice Chili Crisp was encountered while browsing Amazon. It appeared to be on sale, so we took a chance. $8 for an 8 oz. jar of a good chili crisp is a bargain by today's standards. Let's see how it is.

Samar Spice Chili Crisp jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Smoked(?) chili
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Sesame
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Rapeseed (canola)
  • Solids to oil ratio: Medium
  • Flavor Enhancer: Natural (matsutake powder)
  • Potential allergens: Sesame, peanut
  • Storage: N/S (Refrigeration recommended)
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderate
  • Texture: Velvety crunch
  • Saltiness: Low (32mg. per 5gm.)
Samar Spice Chili Crisp and folding spoon

Apparently from China. The label does not specify, only listing the name of the manufacturer, which is headquartered there. It came packed in its own carton with a thank you note and a nifty, folding metal serving spoon. Nice touches.

The jar is plastic and the lid has a tamper-evident ring. Unfortunately, the ring wanted to only partially separate from the lid, so we made use of the spoon to pry it the rest of the way off.

Inside the lid there is a flexible seal ring which, while well-intentioned, allows oil and sesame seeds to get between it and the outer wall of the lid. We anticipate this will cause some drip down the outside at some point.

The solids-to-oil ratio when the contents are settled is about 60/40. The mix of medium and fine solids was a bit compacted at the bottom, so we had to really scrape down into the bottom edges to get a good re-mix before tasting. And we found, going back for a second tasting minutes later, the ingredients had already started to solidify. So, be sure to stir well at each and every serving.

There's a lot going on in here, with well over a dozen non-oil ingredients. We're assuming the goal is both complexity and the achievement of umami without flavor-enhancing chemical additives.

There is a mild heat from the chili, but the Sichuan peppercorn is minimal enough to not produce any of the numbing effect for which it is known. The label touts smokiness, but we weren't really getting much in the way of it.

With so many ingredients fighting for attention, none really stand out individually. Having said that, it still works. There's an overall, spicy, nutty, aromatic, savoriness we found undeniably appealing.

We wondered what matsutake powder was, and found that it is a premium, aromatic seasoning made from ground, dried matsutake mushrooms (Tricholoma matsutake), known for their distinct pine-scented, earthy, and slightly spicy flavor. It is highly valued in Asian cuisine as a natural, savory umami enhancer.

We don't know if we picked up on that particular flavor note, even upon repeated tastings, but with so much else going on in there, it's hard to say.

Overall, we liked this one without any reservations to speak of. Other than the jar closure, and a best by date we thought was closer than it ought to have been, the contents were quite satisfying.

Ingredients

Non-GMO rapeseed oil, chili peppers, peanuts, garlic,sugar, onions, green onions, sesame, smoked chili powder, star anise, cassia bark, cloves, sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, salt, matsutake powder

More Information

Brand: Shenchu (Shandong) Food Technology Co., Ltd. / Samar Spice
Style: Chili crisp
Price paid: $7.99 / 8oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website:
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Published on Leave a comment on Chuannan Peanut Chili Oil

We had to wait quite a while for this Chuannan Peanut Chili Oil to come back in stock at one of our local Asian markets. We could have ordered it through Amazon, but there it varied from $10 to $13 a jar. A little patience netted us this jar for a reasonable $4.79. We liked both the Chuannan Chili Oil Crisp and the Chuannan Spicy Chili Oil , and had high hopes for this variation.

Chuan Nan Sichuan Peanut Chili Oil Sauce jar

Translating the label, the oval logo and top line both read Chuān Nán or "Southern Sichuan" (川 = Sichuan, 南 = South). Below, in large characters, 下饭 essentially "great with rice", and 香 "fragrant". The smaller line under that just means "spicy oil" or "chili oil". The name "Peanut Chili Oil" came from what to us looked like company marketing directed towards the US consumer. We also see that some online vendors nickname this one "Xialicious", apparently a take on the large character line下饭香 (xià fàn xiāng). For an in-depth exploration of the subject, see Decoding Chinese Chili Crisp Labels.

Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Peanut
  • Onion
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Rapeseed (canola)
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG, IMP,GMP
  • Potential allergens: Soy, peanut, sesame
  • Storage: Refrigerate after opening
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Moderately high
  • Texture: Super chunky crunch
  • Saltiness: Moderately high (498mg. per 30gm.)

Compared to the other two, this one contains larger crunch elements, including crunchy peas and whole peanuts. The high solids ratio keeps everything mostly mixed on its own, a good thing since it's dense enough to make getting a spoon deep down into the jar difficult. It has substantial but not overpowering heat. Of the three Chuannan varieties, this might be our new favorite.

For comparison, see the NPG Sichuan Chili Crisp, which has similar ingredients, with a slightly milder heat, a little more sweetness and the fragrant umami of fermented soybean.

Ingredients

Rapeseed oil (non-GMO)(51.5%), peanuts, peas, chili peppers, onion, salt, sugar, MSG, disodium 5'-ribonucleotide, sesame seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, flavorings, spices.

More Information

Brand: Southern Sichuan / Chuannan
Style: Chili oil
Price paid: $4.79 / 9.3oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: http://www.cnnzfood.com/
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Published on Leave a comment on Micro Pharms Fried Chili Oil

This Micro Pharms Fried Chili Oil, like their Crunchy Garlic Oil, came from Whole Foods. We found that other one kind of mild, and hoped this one would be spicier.

Micro Pharms Fried Chili Oil jar
Main Flavor Elements
  • Peanut
  • Chili
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Olive, sesame
  • Solids to oil ratio: HIgh
  • Flavor Enhancer: Natural
  • Potential allergens: Peanuts, sesame
  • Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Medium to low
  • Texture: Nutty crunch
  • Saltiness: Low (60mg. per 14gm.)

This version replaces the almond in the Crunchy Garlic Oil with peanuts, which makes it somewhat crunchier by comparison. Again, the oil is clouded by something else in the mix.

No onion this time, the spice instead provided by red pepper chili flakes. Even though the first solid ingredient on the list, upon inspection it doesn't appear to be, and the heat from them is negligible. We would like to have seen more pepper flakes, a little less peanut and maybe a tad more salt.

We were going to categorize this one as a New Wave style, but decided on Crunchy Oil instead.

Ingredients

Olive oil, red pepper chili flakes, peanuts, sesame oil, sea salt, spices

More Information

Brand: Micro Pharms
Style: Chili Oil
Price Paid: $8.79 / 6oz.
Country of Origin: USA
Manufacturer website: micrpharms.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 Chuannan Chili Oil Crisp

This Chuannan Chili Oil Crisp was an impulse buy at a local Asian market. The label didn't disclose much, being there was nothing in English except for an adhesive label with nutritional information on the back. A web search was necessary just to find out the brand name. What we could see through the glass looked promising, so we took a chance, and were pleasantly surprised.

Chuan Nan Sichuan Chili Oil Crisp jar

Translating the label, the vertical ribbon says "Authentic Sichuan flavor". The oval logo and top line both read Chuān Nán or "Southern Sichuan", while the large characters read 油 "yóu, oil", 辣 "là, spicy hot" and 子 "zǐ, seeds or fruit, i.e the peppers", or together, effectively "Chili oil" or literally "oil poured over chili peppers" (yóu làzǐ). The line below that appears to mean "For mixing with vegetables and noodles", a serving suggestion, essentially. For an in-depth exploration of the subject, see Decoding Chinese Chili Crisp Labels.

Main Flavor Elements
  • Chili
  • Soybeans
  • Peanut
  • Scallion
  • Sichuan peppercorn
Snapshot
  • Base oil(s): Rapeseed (canola)
  • Solids to oil ratio: High
  • Flavor Enhancer: MSG, IMP,GMP
  • Potential allergens: Soy, peanut
  • Storage: Keep in cool, dry place. Refrigerate after opening.
Our Impressions
  • Heat level: Off the chart
  • Texture: Crunchy
  • Saltiness: Moderately high (492 mg. per 30 gm.)

If you like the heat of chili pepper and the numbing effect of Sichuan peppercorn, this Chuannan Chili Oil Crisp is for you. Made in the bold you lazi style, a mere teaspoon will make your eyes water and your pate perspire. You may even sneeze if you taste it by itself.

The major crunch comes from whole soybeans, while finer solids in the form of pepper, peanut and spring onion round out the texture and flavor. And, of course, there's that powerful and lingering Sichuan peppercorn.

A teaspoon or so mixed into a bowl of hot noodles on a cold day will warm you up and clear your sinuses at the same time.

While this one's intensity might not make it a daily driver, it's certainly worthy of shelf space in a chili crisp lover's arsenal.

Ingredients

Rapeseed oil (non-GMO) (63.8%), chili peppers, soybeans, peanuts, salt, scallions, white sugar, monosodium glutamate (MSG), disodium inosinate, flavorings, spices, and other seasonings.

More Information

Brand: SIchuan Weihong Food Co, Ltd. / Chuannan
Style: Southern Sichuan Chili Crisp
Price paid: $5 / 9.24oz.
Country of Origin: China
Manufacturer website: http://www.cnnzfood.com/
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