Think of a thin onion, garlic, and tomato sofrito that’s ready to eat out of the jar, no cooking necessary. Laoganma Crispy Chilli in Oil is versatile and can be used as a dip, sauce, or seasoning for a wide range of dishes, including noodles, rice, dumplings, meats, vegetables, and even pizza.

It is great for drizzling on noodles, rice, stir-fries, or as a dipping sauce, adding an instant burst of heat and flavour. Recommendations: cooked with scrambled eggs, topping for fried rice, or thrown in your favorite packaged ramen. Each jar from Lao Gan Ma comes with a spicy chilli oil that will infuse your dishes with flavour and depth.They mention that it has a nice crunch for added texture, is very moorish, and the crunch feeling is delightful. Lao Gan Ma or ‘old godmother’ was founded in 1997 by Tao Huabi, the woman whose picture is on each jar! In the event of any safety concerns or for any other information about a product please carefully read any instructions provided on the label or packaging and contact the manufacturer. The condiment is named after its creator, Tao Huabi and became an instant hit in China and quickly gained popularity around the world.

It has spicy with a hint of sweetness and has loads of caramelized chilies, crunchy soy beans, and garlic. Every product featured in The Strategist is rigorously selected by our (obsessive and unbiased) editors. Sichuan pepper has distinct tongue-tingling notes, with a cold-heat, rather than an overpowering spice. Soybean oil [40%], chilli [35%], onions [8%], preserved blackbeans (soybean, water), salt, Sichuan pepper corn, sugar, flavour enhancer E621. Miranda Brown, professor of Chinese studies at the University of Michigan, who is writing a book on the history of Chinese food, says that in China, Lao Gan Ma’s popularity is partly due to Tao’s authenticity.

Even though homemade chile oil is the kind of thing that has become a pandemic project— myself included as I made a version that was Whole30 compliant — I still find Lao Gan Ma to be tastier than my own versions. Ingredients: soybean oil, chilli (35%), onion, fermented soybean ( soybean, water), salt, sichuan pepper, salt, flavour enhancer E621. Tao drives a limited edition Rolls-Royce with red rear view mirrors and a lucky number licence plate: “Gui A8888”. View image in fullscreen Workers sorting chilli peppers at a cooperative in China’s southwest Guizhou province.