# Let's talk about chili crisp (condiment with chili flakes, garlic, etc. in oil) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [August 25, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341 "2022-08-25T17:29:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2022, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/61 "2022-11-02T02:18:15Z")
Good point. I was searching for “chili crisp” which should have found it, but searching directly for “Lao Gan Ma” found it. They prefer calling it “chili paste” but it is indeed chili crisp according to the label – the authentic Angry Grandma, no less! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2022, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/62 "2022-11-02T02:30:30Z")
Be aware that Lao Gan Ma has several products. Spicy Chili Crisp is one of them. The also have Hot Chili Sauce, which is kind of chili-oilish, but also contains peanuts and fermented kohlrabi. They also have Fried Chili in Oil, which also contains peanuts, but no onion like the Chili Crisp. Weird thing is, now looking at the Lao Gan Ma website, their chili crisp lists peanut in their ingredients. Mine does not (which I think I mentioned earlier in this thread that I thought I remember them once having peanut) and the last few jars I’ve bought over the years did not list peanut. So I don’t know what’s up with that. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2022, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/63 "2022-11-02T02:33:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Be aware that Lao Gan Ma has several products This is what I found: [https://www.loblaws.ca/chili-paste/p/20874066\_EA](https://www.loblaws.ca/chili-paste/p/20874066_EA) ---
**Author:** ![superwombat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superwombat/32/16616_2.png) [@superwombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superwombat)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2022, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/64 "2022-11-02T02:38:42Z")
Can confirm. I get mine at No Frills, a Loblaws partner offshoot. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2022, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/65 "2022-11-02T02:55:27Z")
That is the correct one. (And that’s the one you’re most likely to find, although I’ve been to a Chinese restaurant that sells Lao Ga Ma products and have accidentally picked up the Fried Chili in Oil – as that’s what they were selling – which is also really good, and the same idea as Spicy Chili Crisp.) Regular Sichuan-style chili oil is pretty awesome, too, and not too difficult to make at home. I have about three pint jars of it right now. Great on noodles, Chinese dishes, all sorts of stuff, but different than chili crisp (though you have some crispy chilis in it) as it doesn’t have MSG in it and is often spiced with all sorts of spices (though I keep mine simple for the most part.) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2022, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/66 "2022-11-02T03:13:49Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > …not too difficult to make at home… What do you put in yours? Actually, would you share your recipe? ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2022, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/67 "2022-11-02T10:31:27Z")
Only two brands at Meijer of chili crisp, I will h e to venture out to target to scope out their offerings. Or make some myself. Yes recipes wanted! Let this video be my motivation and her recipe looks simple but many ingredients [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TnDWqBrr78c/maxresdefault.jpg "🌶 Chinese Chili Oil Recipe (Chili Crisp) 🌶 CiCi Li - Asian Home Cooking Recipes") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnDWqBrr78c) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2022, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/68 "2022-11-02T14:00:34Z")
The last one I did was basically this recipe: > **[How to Make Chili Oil: The Perfect Recipe! - The Woks of Life](https://thewoksoflife.com/how-to-make-chili-oil/)** > > Want to know how to make chili oil? Our Chinese chili oil recipe has step-by-step instructions and non-negotiable vs. optional ingredients! But I didn’t follow it completely. I skipped all the spices except for a bit of star anise; I also fried whole cloves of garlic in the oil to flavor it, but removed them at the end. (There is another recipe I use where you good minced garlic slowly in the oil for something like a half hour or so until all the water is gone, but I was in a hurry). My chili peppers were a mix of Korean gochugaru and Sichuanese chile peppers. The recipe is quite customizable. If I want something incredibly flavorful and fragrant, I love this recipe from Saveur: > **[Sichuan Red Chile Oil (Hong You)](https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Sichuan-Red-Chile-Oil/)** > > This ruby red chile- and spice-infused oil is a key ingredient in all kinds of Sichuan dishes. There’s also a version I make with fermented black beans that is quite good: [https://lowslowbbq.com/gary-wiviotts-chili-oil/](https://lowslowbbq.com/gary-wiviotts-chili-oil/) ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2022, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/69 "2022-11-03T04:03:16Z")
Thanks to this thread I bought the Trader Joe’s chili crisp and tried it tonight on some crispy naan bread. Yum!! I am now a fan. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2022, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/70 "2022-11-03T21:30:13Z")
Then you should definitively try some of the other brands. Theirs is pretty meh, IMHO, comparatively. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2022, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/71 "2022-11-03T21:38:42Z")
@Eyebrows_0f_Doom, yes, definitely look for Angry Grandma - Lao Gan Ma chili crisp. The medley (spectrum?) of flavors in the oil alone is subtly mind-blowing. And tongue-blowing, too. [![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41+ngHoeLiL.jpg) ](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41+ngHoeLiL.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/72 "2022-11-04T00:40:27Z")
I personally prefer TJ’s onion version. Not “meh” at all. Angry grandma chili crisp tastes too heavily of fermented soybeans for my taste. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/73 "2022-11-04T02:20:46Z")
Angry Grandmother has MSG. I put the TJ’s Crunchy Jalapeño Lime and Onion on TJ’s Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes, vastly improving the latter. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/74 "2022-11-04T02:23:50Z")
> [@susan](#): > > Angry Grandmother has MSG. Yep. Which is partly why it rocks! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/75 "2022-11-04T02:29:59Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I personally prefer TJ’s onion version. Not “meh” at all. Hmm…I’ll have to try that one. I wish I had read this post about two hours ago when I was right next door to a TJ’s. (But I like the fermented stuff, though I honestly don’t notice it in the Lao Gan Ma, probably because I’m used to it.) ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/76 "2022-11-04T03:21:49Z")
That’s the one I got, the Chili Onion Crunch. > **[TJ’s CHILI ONION CRUNCH](https://traderjoesrants.com/2020/02/03/chili-onion-crunch/)** > > RAVE Here’s another great condiment from Trader Joe’s: Chili Onion Crunch. Its yet another TJ offering which gained a following on the internet, for good reason. It’s good! Now in… ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/77 "2022-11-04T03:39:46Z")
Yeah, I think that’s pretty tasty, too. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/78 "2022-11-04T08:37:39Z")
Oh, wait, nevermind – that must have been the one I had, as there doesn’t seem to be a non-onion one from Trader Joe’s. (I never bought it myself – just had it at my brother’s house. The olive oil I found a bit odd, but I guess it works fine in its own context.) ---
**Author:** ![ashtayk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@ashtayk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashtayk)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/79 "2022-11-04T19:25:34Z")
The Amazon description of LaoGanma says it is “Fat free”!!! And the first ingredient on the list - Soybean oil ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341/80 "2022-11-04T20:35:52Z")
That would be the fault of the vendor you are looking at on Amazon; I bought mine on Amazon, and it doesn’t say “fat free” on the page of the vendor from which I purchased it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-chili-crisp-condiment-with-chili-flakes-garlic-etc-in-oil/970341.md?page=5)