A couple of years ago, I found out about Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp. A crunch, oil, and a little spiciness. I dubbed it ‘Love Sludge’ – it was so good that I evangelized it to all my friends. Since then, the enamor has most certainly worn off. I don’t know if they changed the recipe, but the last couple of times I’ve gotten some, it’s ended up in the bin, not completely used. Well, I thought a list of alternatives to Lao Gan Ma that are out there that not everyone’s heard of (nor I myself) would be neat. So, I started sending a few emails, asking for samples, and here’s The Ramen Rater’s Chili Crisp Roundup & Buyer’s Guide. I figure 14 varieties is more than enough to show a landscape of flavor and textures that are out in the wild – and I’m sure there are many more. With holidays coming up, if you’ve got a ramen junkie or chilehead to get something for, there’s a lot of different things here that will work that they might not have tried. These are in order of when I received/bought them. Each one has a link to where you can get them. If I end up with more, I will be happy to add them at the bottom. With that, let’s get oily!
What’s This All About, Them?
So, wait a second. You don’t know what chili crisp is or what to do with it or why it exists? No problem – like I said, I wasn’t aware of it until a couple years ago. Chili crisp generally has a crunchy aspect, and kind of savory sludge, Sichuan peppercorn, and oil. Ever walk by a Chinese buffet that smells really good? Imagine if that thought in your head of how it smells really good could be densely concentrated into an oily, funky, crunchy condiment. That’s what it is. It is great just stirred into some rice. It’s great to spoon onto some ramen in a little blobby chonk. It’s friggin’ wonderful – let’s just leave it at that and as soon as you try it and find out, you’ll evalgelize it to your noodle eating friends. That being said yeah – let’s have a look at The Ramen Rater’s Chili Crisp Roundup & Buyer’s Guide!
The Ramen Rater’s Chili Crisp Roundup & Buyer’s Guide
Kari Kari Garlic Chili Crisp
My journey starts here – and it was the impetus to do The Ramen Rater’s Chili Crisp Roundup & Buyer’s Guide. I saw something about it online and reached out. This is from Seattle, just a few miles from here. This is great – I wish I had more to show on the spoon, but it’s so good. Crisp bits or garlic, shallot and peanut dance in oil along with the standard Sichuan peppercorn heat. It’s not violently spicy and worth trying. Get it here
Homiah Sambal Chili Crunch (Shrimp)
There a guy on YouTube named Uncle Roger who has a funny channel devotes to Asian culture and food. One of my favorite things he says is ‘shrimp paste is white people kryptonite.’ Well, not this white guy. I freaking love it. This variety is made in Malaysia and is also known as Hae Bee Hiam. It’s got a crunch, a little heat, and a prawny flavor for days that’ll blow your mind if you’re into that. Get it here
Homiah Sambal Chili Crunch (Seaweed)
If you’re looking for something Vegan, this is a good bet. I”’ immediate admit that I’m not a huge fan of seaweed. There. I feel better now coming clean about that. But this one was actually quite good. Not an extreme seaweed flavor but paired with a sweetness and really satisfying crunch. Get it here
Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Style Chili Crisp Oil
My buddy from the UK implored me to try this one and it doesn’t disappoint. The oil in this one is a little different and it imparts an interesting flavor. The sludgy aspect isn’t incredibly crisp, however it has a very rich flavor and probably the strongest heat of any of the chili crisps on this list. Get it here
S&B Umami Topping Crunchy Garlic With Chili Oil
Here’s a nice little jar (I’m sure they make bigger) of love sludge. It’s definitely leaning way towards garlic and very light on the chili. I would say that it’s less crunchy and more chewy – and it’s really quite nice. The only one on this list from Japan. Get it here
Momofuku Chili Crunch
Momofuku is a restaurant founded by David Chang. This is a nicely balanced chili ‘crunch’ (some companies call it crisp, some call it crunch go figure). A nice and stodgy thick love sludge with a hint of sweetness. Found this while reviewing one of their noodle products as the chili crunch was mentioned on the packaging. Get it here
Momofuku Chili Crunch Hot Honey
I was informed by a friend that hot honey is a thing and I didn’t realize it existed, but I do now. This stuff is very messy and hard to work with. That being said, it’s worth working with as it adds a natural kind of honey sweetness, sesame seeds, and Sichuan pepper heat which really all comes together nicely8. With ramen? Yeah – I think it could work with a dry noodle nicely. Get it here
Momofuku Extra Spicy Chili Crunch
To be honest, I didn’t find this much spicier than the original, but it’s quite good. The extra heat is there, and it’s a little sweeter too. This seems to kind of cancel things out in a way, but it’s just extra good. Get it here
Momofuku Black Truffle Chili Crunch
If you’re looking for a truffle kind of flavor or are into that sort of thing, this one should work for you. It does have a bit of truffle flavor. I think truffles taste like the scent of old, musty books – and I find it fascinating that it exists in an edible form. Get it here
Momofuku Garlic Crunch
I’m guessing if you are reading this rundown, you’re probably into spicy things. If you’re not but hoping to find something that un-spicy, here you go! This is a garlic crunch oil – no heat here and a ton of garlic flavor. Lots of seeds and bits – love sludge without the fire. Get it here
Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp
Made with ingredients imported from Sichuan, China. Has all the hallmarks you’d want from a chili crisp – chunkiness, oiliness, and peppercorn heat. Really nice stuff – as in their noodle product make with it. Get it here
Fly By Jing Xtra Spicy Chili Crisp
Like the above but guess what? It’s spicier. The sludge has this smoothness aspect as well which is fascinating. Get it here
Fly By Jing Chengdu Crunch
Well, it’s time for the sweet and spicy arm of the chili crisp zone. It certainly is that – nice stuff – oily and succulent. They have a noodle product based on this one, too. Get it here
Fly By Jing Chengdu Crunch
They’re not kidding – this really has a lot of crunch. Not so violently spicy, but crisp fava beans (also known as broad beans). Where there is an Xtra Spicy chili crisp, this is a way extra crunchy chili crisp. Get it here
In Conclusion (for now)
So yeah if you produce a chili crisp/crunch/etc and you’d like to be listed here, drop me a line. Hopefully if you were stumped about a gift for a ramen fan, this clears things up somewhat; I mean if it doesn’t just pick one and get it for them.
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