DIY Chili Crisp Kit

Greetings, Friends of The Mala Market!

What is the condiment of the year? Chili crisp is the condiment of the year!

We lost track of the number of new chili crisp brands to hit the market during the pandemic, but we say the more the merrier, because they are all different and all tasty in their own way. 

But you know what? Yours will be even tastier! That's because chili crisp is infinitely customizable, and yours will be customized to your taste. All you need are the basic—and still for the most part secret—ingredients that make Sichuan chill crisp unique, and then you're off to the races creating your own personalized version with everyday add-ins such as garlic, shallots and sesame seeds.

Kathy and I spent weeks and weeks testing chili crisp recipes. She pored through the Chinese Internet for inspiration and info, and we both relied on Sichuan taste memories and tested the heck out of both ingredients and methods until all our friends and families said, That's the one! (As a funny aside, Kathy's Sichuan-American family tested the various batches head-to-head on mantou, or steamed buns, while we tested ours on tortilla chips—chili crisp is a cousin to, and probably inspiration for, Mexican salsa macha, after all. It's equally good on both!)

We were aiming for a Lao Gan Ma-like sauce, of course, since it is the original and best chili crisp. But as great as it is, after you've eaten it on everything for a decade (as Fongchong has), you're looking for a variation, a new take on the OG. 

Fortunately, The Mala Market has the hard-to-source ingredients that are must-haves for mala chili crisp, and we have bundled them into a kit that also includes our well-tested recipe and our favorite jar for storing chili crisp or chili oil. This functional beauty holds 17 ounces, so your creation will not only be better and fresher, it will be significantly bigger than store-bought chili crisp and chili oil, which ranges from 5 to 8 ounces. Plus the kit makes two 17-ounce batches of chili crisp or aromatic chili oil (with leftovers)! 

Ready to make your own chili crisp? Perhaps you have a friend who'd like to show off their chili crisp chops as well? Then this is the perfect gift for you or them. 

🌶Taylor & Fongchong 🌶
 

P.S. We have a limited number of these kits for their launch, but will quickly restock if needed.