In 1984, Chinese restaurateur Tao Huabi is said to have conceived the recipe for what would later become Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp. Initially, she sold it in her shop in Guizhou. Then, in 1997, she began the first commercial production of chili crisp under the Lao Gan Ma ("Old Godmother") brand. It quickly became popular and, eventually, a Chinese pantry staple.
The story of Tao Huabi is one of the most remarkable entrepreneurial success stories in modern China. An illiterate widow from one of China's poorest provinces, she built Lao Gan Ma into one of the world's best-known chili condiment brands and helped popularize what many Western consumers now call chili crisp.
Early life
Tao Huabi was born in 1947 in rural Meitan County, in China's southwestern province of Guizhou. Her family was extremely poor, and she never received a formal education, remaining unable to read or write. During the famine years of the late 1950s and early 1960s, she survived by foraging for wild plants and roots.
She married in her twenties and had two sons. After her husband died following a long illness, Tao was left to support her family alone. She worked various jobs and eventually began selling snacks, tofu, and vegetables from a street stall.
The noodle shop
In 1989, Tao opened a modest noodle and rice-noodle restaurant in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province. To distinguish her food from competitors, she developed a homemade chili sauce containing oil, chiles, and fermented soybeans. Customers quickly became devoted to the condiment.
According to the commonly told company story, she realized that customers were often coming specifically for the sauce rather than the noodles. When she occasionally ran out of the sauce, sales reportedly dropped noticeably.
Why "Lao Gan Ma"?
Tao became known locally as "Lao Gan Ma" (老干妈), usually translated as "Old Godmother."
The nickname arose because she was known for helping poor students and customers who lacked money, often giving discounts or extra food. Her generosity earned her a reputation as a respected maternal figure in the community.
When she later commercialized her sauce, she adopted the nickname as the brand name.
The birth of the company
As demand for her chili sauce exploded, Tao shifted her focus from restaurant operations to condiment production.
In 1994–1996 she rented village-owned buildings, hired about forty workers, and began manufacturing her chili sauce on a commercial scale. The company that would become Lao Gan Ma was formally established in 1997.
One of her most effective marketing methods was surprisingly simple: she reportedly gave jars of sauce to truck drivers traveling new highways through Guizhou. Those drivers carried the product across China and spread awareness through word of mouth.
Did Tao Huabi invent chili crisp?
Not exactly.
China has had chili oils and crunchy chile condiments for centuries, with many regional variations. What Tao did was create the first hugely successful national commercial brand built around the concept. Many food historians credit Lao Gan Ma with transforming a regional condiment into a mass-market pantry staple.
Her signature products combined:
- Chili peppers
- Chili oil
- Fermented soybeans (douchi)
- Garlic
- Peanuts
- MSG and other flavor enhancers
The result was a condiment that delivered heat, crunch, umami, and texture simultaneously.
Fighting counterfeiters
As Lao Gan Ma became famous, imitators appeared throughout China, often copying the label design and even using similar names.
Tao spent years defending the brand in court. In 2001, a Beijing court ruled that competitors could not use the Lao Gan Ma name or imitate the packaging. The decision helped establish the brand's legal identity and protected its rapid expansion.
National and international success
By the 2000s, Lao Gan Ma had become one of China's best-known condiment brands. The company's products spread throughout Asia, North America, Europe, and elsewhere.
For many Chinese immigrants and students abroad, the distinctive jar featuring Tao Huabi's portrait became a familiar taste of home. Later, during the late 2010s and early 2020s, Western food writers and chefs helped turn Lao Gan Ma into a cult favorite among non-Chinese consumers as well.
Today, many American chili-crisp brands openly acknowledge Lao Gan Ma as an inspiration.
Retirement, recipe controversy, and return
Tao gradually stepped back from day-to-day management around 2014, with family members taking larger roles in the business. Afterward, sales reportedly declined for several years. Some observers attributed the decline to changes in ingredients, including a switch away from Guizhou-grown chiles.
In 2019, Tao returned to an active management role. Reports indicate that the company restored its use of Guizhou peppers and renewed its focus on quality. Revenue subsequently recovered.
Legacy
Tao Huabi's legacy extends far beyond a single condiment. She is frequently cited in China as an example of self-made entrepreneurial success:
- Born in poverty.
- Never formally educated.
- Widowed with two children.
- Started with a roadside food business.
- Built a billion-dollar food empire.
More importantly for food culture, Lao Gan Ma helped introduce millions of people around the world to the pleasures of crunchy chili condiments. While chili oils existed long before her, Tao Huabi's brand arguably did more than any other to make "chili crisp" a global category.
For many consumers, the face on the jar is still instantly recognizable: Tao Huabi herself—the original "Old Godmother."