I tried jarred crispy chili oil for the first time this month; got a bit carried away and have now sampled 4 brands so far (yes i've eaten maybe two and a half bottles of chili oil in 30 days). Having been aware of the Lao Gan Ma hype for a while and previously never sampled it, i've now tried all four of these at the same time and i'm finding the encumbent overhyped. Let me give you a rundown of the 4.
- Lao Gan Ma: Iconic brand, classic chinese profile. Finds its crisp in fermented soybean and chilli flakes, tasty but the least versatile of the bunch that shifts any food it's on into Asian cuisine.
- Chotto Motto: Very rich on the MSG and fried shallots, finding this my personal benchmark for crispy chilli oil as the shallots have peak mouthfeel and flavour. This on scrambled eggs blew my mind the first time I tried it.
- Umami Papi: Ironically less Umami than the previous two and a distinct cumin note that I find overpowering, a note that diminishes the versatility of the oil. Same crisp profile as Lao Gan Ma.
- Six eyed scorpion: Chotto Motto but 5 dollars more with a bit of fennel seed peppered in.
Spice wise they're all somewhat mild until a bite of chili flake hits you with a burst of heat.
Let me know if theres an local underdogs I should try next?
https://i.redd.it/tanqa0dogl2h1.jpeg
49 Comments
Lao Gan Ma til I die
Chotto motto is good. But $23 a small jar. It ain’t cheap!
Try the Tan Viet sa tế. Maybe it’s only available from their restaurants.
Man that six eyed scorpion is so expensive. Almost 20 bucks at my IGA.
The umami papi one is fantastic on a schnitty burger. The cumin makes it weird with Asian type dishes though.
I generally just make my own chilli oil, you can get like a litre for the same cost as a small jar of premade stuff for very little effort.
Can’t justify 15 bucks for Umami Papi or more for the others.
LGM isn’t as versatile but it does its job well.
Accidentally got the one with chicken chunks the other day. Wild. Anyone?
Lao Gan Ma only has supremacy because it was the first brand to really break out of asian stores and into mainstream supermarkets. It also depends on which type you get. The black bean one is nice, as is the one with peanuts, but their mushroom or fermented soy bean one can be passed over. Their plain chili crisp one is fairly boring.
Honestly I can’t remember what one I currently eat… I just like to go to China town and buy a bunch of random ones that I cannot read. Can be hit and miss, but it’s fun to experiment with on my steamed egg and rice when Im not eating it with kimchi
You could always make your own. There are a lot of videos explaining how to make chili crisp and how to adapt it to your tastes. One day I will make my own but it’s not safe at my current place.
The fermented soybean taste of Laoganma has me hooked.
Typically I like a hot sauce or condiment to add some umami, spice and mouthfeel without adding flavour but enhancing the flavour of the food. Any suggestions?
Some person at my local Coles and Woolworths buys all the Laoganma when it is on sale before I can get to it after work on Wednesday’s.
I don’t think LGA turns everything it’s on into asian cuisine.
Any carb dish I think maintains its identity while the LGA adds a new flavour note. Examples being Mash Potato, Mac & Cheese (a personal favourite of mine), any creamy tomato sauce with pasta etc.
I’m honestly just happy chili condiments like this exist, I throw hot sauce on random shit all the time and it’s never been the wrong decision
LGM undefeated when you take into account price point
Comparing a $4 product against a $20 product, yea I can do that too
Lao Gan Ma just reminds me of being deployed lol. Cover food in it to get some flavour.
The Aldi Szechuan Chilli Crisp is a strong contender.
Lao gan ma is entry into the world of chili oils. I’ve been making my own for a while now.
https://www.brianlagerstrom.com/recipes/chili-crisp
This recipe is a great place to start….and it’s so much more tasty than store bought
I make this stuff myself. It’s just as good as the shit you buy but you can dial up the flavours you like. It’s based on the umami papi one.
At Xmas I make a big batch and give out jars as gifts. People love it and it costs me about 20 bucks to make a shit ton.
Find out if your local Vietnamese place is selling the homemade stuff…. That’s where it’s at
The Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil has the Lao Gan Ma price tag and fucking slaps and tastes better imo. umami papi was meh for me. six eyed scorpion is good but $$. I’ve had chotto motto but I can’t remember anything about it so it must have been okay but not amazing
Chuanwazi (or Wa!) deserves a shout too, good value
See if your local Asian Grocer sells the Malaysian brand ‘Hengs’. They have a crispy prawn and crispy fish chilli. So good and affordable.
I find Umami Papi way too salty. I used to buy Ronin but its not for sale anymore. I’ve started making my own, make a big batch and gift a few. Lao Gan Ma is absolutely best value.
> Lao Gan Ma shifts any food it’s on into Asian cuisine
My chilli crisp cheese toasies beg to differ hahaha
Great write up !
The only options near me are Lao Gan Ma, Marions and Umami Papi. I just get the cheapest considering how much crispy chilli oil I use. Umami Papi would be way too expensive. Besides, the Lao Gan Ma stuff tastes great. It’s at the point where the vast majority of food I cook has it in it. I use it in stir fries (most of my meals right now), meatballs, frittatas, zucchini slices, scrambled eggs, and marinades.
A small stall at the motorshow had Sunghue brand there, and it was great, but didn’t have others to compare at the time.
Counter to all of the above…. Zhong Jing chilli oil, with the dancing panda on the jar. And their scallion oil is also goated.
Lao Gan Ma Three Ting is my go to condiment for rice and stir fried veg
My husband made homemade chilli oil as a wedding favour to our guests. HIGHLY RECOMMEND, well loved by everyone 🔥🔥
The problem with all the hype over one or another and finding the absolute best one is at the end of the day taste is subjective.
I have had all the above plus probably another 4 or 5 different types and I cant go past umami papi I can eat the stuff out the jar with a spoon, it’s probably just the msg but for me it’s head and shoulders above any of the others I have tried, and yet ever time I read one of these posts it’s usually rated in the middle somewhere, does that mean I’m wrong nope just means i like different taste to other people.
Try the Old Donkey / Lao Luo Zi brand crispy shrimp chilli oil. This one is my favourite and pretty darn hot. Not local, it’s from Taiwan.
The major aussie ones tend to be rather mild, no seafood umami flavours and not many of them use fermented black beans.
Lao Gan Ma hands down has the best bang for buck
Nothing comes close to the chilli oil on these guys
https://thefermentalists.com/collections/chilli-oils/products/chilli-oil-220g
They also have a crunchy variant that im yet to sample. I just cant go past this. Super tasty not very hot.
I went to a fine food market a while back and there are lot of small batch producers getting into chilli oil. Are they better than LGM? Yes. Am I going to pay $30 per jar for them? Heck no. In their price range, LGM reigns supreme.
I made hot honey with Lao Gan Ma and local raw rainforest honey. Supremo! Goes with everything
Jesus, how is chili oil going for 20 bucks a jar
Umami papi is fine but you really might as well buy Lao gan ma for much cheaper, theyre very similar, more of a thick sediment than lots of big crispy bits.
I used to love LGM but got addicted to the Salt Gang hot honey crispy chilli and black bean one after getting it on holiday. So much texture and incredibly rich flavour. It’s not super cheap but it’s worth it when you don’t need much.
I also got this one online for my heat hating family that doesn’t actually have chilli, just super savoury with the crunchy bits and they love it.
https://www.saltgang.com.au/shop/p/umami-crisp
If you are in Melbourne there is a soup place in the Kmart centre off Bourke St called the Grand BBQ. They make their own and it’s easily the best I’ve had. We buy a large container every time we are near there.
Marion’s Kitchen Chilli Crisp 👌
You have LGM “crisp” which is the onion-heavy one that westerners love.
My favourite is the “bean” one with fermented soybeans
Angry Grandma
two and a half bottles in 30 days is not “trying” chili oil that’s a lifestyle change
Lao Gan Ma is also a fraction of the cost of other chilli crisps. I simply can’t justify the cost of some of the other brands, some hitting $20 for about half the product. For its ingredients it is insane.
I’m also not a fan of Umami Papi due to the overwhelming cumin flavour. Nice if anyone is a cumin fan, but not for me.
Please try DC Cartel, they are the go-to chilli oil in my household. Super versatile and goes one anything, including sweet treats!
Love this conversation as I have an Asian background and I actually work at a hot sauce shop and sampled a ton of chilli oils. You’ve got a classic selection here that reflects what’s popular in Australia here for sure.
I’ll suggest a few more:
Chuan Nan Chilli oil
– you can find this in most Chinese/asian grocers
– savoury but not as salty as Lao Gan Ma with a strong peanuty flavour
Ultra Culture Chilli oil
– this is a bit more under the radar as the owner doesn’t make it that often
– if you like six eyed scorpion I do recommend this one with a sweeter profile but more sesame
Gin Maya Chilli Oil
-Sri Lankan flavour profiles with bits of shredded curry leaves
-personally not my ultimate favourite but it’s a good different flavour
Ki Gourmet Salsa Macha
– Smokey Latin flavours
-texture is a bit more ground up but still has a good mouthfeel overall
– one of my personal ultimate favourites
Fuoco Chillli Oil
– Italian and Chinese fusion chilli oil with fennel and sesame flavours
– was a bit skeptical but this works
-amazing with eggs and toasted sandwiches
Have fun chilli hunting!!!
Can we all just agree, they are all amazing. Go with which ever one works for you.
not sure if you’re unaware or you’re if just being strict on it being the “crispy chilli oil”, but Lao Gan Ma actually has a heap of different flavours that look almost identical but taste pretty different. The cripy chili oil one is the most well known but i actually think its one of the weakest of their options.
there’s one with black bean that’s pretty good, but my personal favourite is the one with peanuts and kohlrabi. it definitely does still immediately throw a dish into an Asian flavour profile, but definitely recommend trying some of the other types before writing it off as being over hyped.
It’s cheap though, the other ones are so expensive
Team Lao Gan Ma all the way here.
If you’re into Asian fusion and ever looking for a quick and tasty stirfry sauce without soy sauce, try 1 tbsp Promite and 2 tbsp honey with a 1/3 tsp tamarind paste, a pinch of MSG, with a little minced ginger, garlic, chili, an optional splash of coconut cream, and a bit of water and cornflour to thicken if you like.
Started as a joke in my household about things that should not be mixed, turned out a favourite.
Goes great with white fish.
Have no idea how it ranks sodium wise.
knew the owner of umamipapi, the guy is a wank wouldn’t give him a cent.
Is that … gentrified white people chilli oil? What do you mean $20 a jar??
Asian supermarkets will have so many options on top of Lao gan ma varieties for nowhere near that price….