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Chengdu Crispy Chili Oil (All Natural, Specialty of Sichuan)
$14
Made in Sichuan, for Sichuan Food and Cooking
While most of the Chinese-style chili oils and crisps on the U.S. market are made in the U.S., we went to the source to source ours. Chengdu Crispy Chili Oil was created in Chengdu to be ideal for Sichuan food and recipes and is made there for us in small batches.
If features Sichuan’s most beloved flavors, in their premium forms—single-origin er jing tiao and facing heaven chilies, top-grade Sichuan pepper, cold-pressed roasted rapeseed oil—all sourced locally, with gluten-free soy sauce for umami and peanuts and sesame for crunch, but no additives or preservatives.
What we love about this Sichuan-style chili oil is both its balance of flavors and its versatility of uses. It adheres to the cuisine’s goal of balance among multiple bold flavors, never overwhelming with chili heat, numbing pepper, garlic, salt or sugar, but combining them in such a way that they complement each other—and the food.
That balance makes Chengdu Crispy Chili Oil not only a versatile condiment but also a match for the many Sichuan dishes that use it as an ingredient.
Because the red oil component of chili oil is so often used as an ingredient in sauces for noodles and cold dishes, this chili oil follows the Sichuan standard of being about half oil and half solid ingredients (versus a chili “crisp” or “crunch”, which generally has little to no oil atop the crisp).
Use it as a condiment, use it in a dressing for noodles and salads, use it anywhere you want a moderately hot chili oil that plays well with other flavors.
Craft + Process
The goal with this chili oil was to create the quintessential Chengdu-style oil: The recipe starts with a farm-style caiziyou, or roasted rapeseed oil, infusing it with aromatics and combining it with Sichuan's beloved er jing tiao chili, special-grade Sichuan pepper and other secret spices—no generic chilies or spices. The makers pour the oil over the chili mix in three temperature phases, a method invented by Sichuan chefs to ensure ultimate flavor, fragrance and color. And because it is a condiment as well as an oil, they add soy sauce and yeast extract for umami, and peanuts and sesame for nutty crunch.
Compare To
The heat and flavor of this oil are pronounced without being overwhelming. It’s not too salty or full of forced umami, so it plays well with soy sauce in your dumpling sauce. It’s not too garlicy, so feel free to use it with dishes that already include garlic. It’s not too sweet, as sweet is not the typical Sichuan flavor profile. It’s not too numbing, because it’s better to add your own preferred level of freshly ground Sichuan pepper to a dish. And it’s spicy but not too spicy, because Sichuan uses chili oil in abundance but still wants to enjoy the food.
In short, this chili oil won’t throw off your dumpling sauce or cold dish sauce or noodle sauce by overwhelming the other flavors.
Also note its generous size of 8 ounces in a world of 4-6 ounce chili crisps.
How To Use It
In Sichuan, chili oil may be used as a condiment, added by the diner to noodles and soups, but it’s more frequently used as an ingredient of a noodle sauce and for liang ban/cold dishes/salads/side dishes. These cold dishes play an integral role in Sichuan cuisine, and they usually come dressed in a chili oil-based sauce, which requires chili oil, not just crisp. As per its name, Chengdu Crispy Chili Oil has both oil and crisp.
Use the red oil from the top of the jar for dressings, scooping up some of the solids if desired. For use as a condiment, stir the jar’s contents to distribute the solids throughout the oil.
While not explosively hot, this chili oil is significantly spicy. Start with a little and taste before adding more.
Storage
Chili oil does not require refrigeration and can be stored in a cool, dark cabinet or pantry. But as with most condiments, refrigeration will extend the shelf life for long-term storage.
One of Sichuan cuisine's official complex flavor profiles, "chili oil" flavor is most often found in cold dishes like this three-sliver salad; the dressing is a mix of chili oil and other Sichuan condiments
Another hongyou dish, chili-oil wontons are a classic use for a Sichuan-style chili oil, with the dressing calling for both red oil and chili solids/flakes
