A spoonful of aromatic chile flakes floating in spice-infused oil is the easiest way I know to take any dish to complex new heights. I go through so many jars of chile crisp it may as well be another food group. That’s why the condiment has been a staple ingredient in Chinese kitchens for centuries—and why Americans are now increasingly catching on to its magic. Theis the ultimate cooking shortcut for elevating stir fries, dressing raw vegetables, and seasoning meats.
“Once people got a taste of what chile crisp could do for their homemade meals, they couldn’t stop,” says Elaine Luo, a Chongqing-based recipe developer who writes the blog. “All the seasonings you need are already right there in the jar. It’s convenient and makes cooking faster.” Lao Gan Ma, a ubiquitous chile sauce brand in China, has sprung from America’s Asian supermarkets into national grocery chains in recent years.
The pantry at work, right? lolz