Obviously, lao gan ma is the OG of all hot chili sauces, with it being a staple in any Asian household in the United States. Its red label cap and jar, and smiling auntie is globally renowned as one of the household items in any home that adores spice.
As Asian Americans begin to find their own creative palettes and are able to create small batches of chili oils and sauces, there has been interesting new flavors emerging into the market for those who like to add a bit of kick during their meal.
I’m a huge fan of Trader Joe’s Japanese stir fried rice, and tend to use this as the common denominator to test all my chili sauces. I’ve done you the luxury of listing out all my favorite chili sauces below, many which can be bought online or on Amazon.
Mama Teav’s
Mama Teav’s Hot Garlic Chili Crisp is a bold fusion of heat, crunch, and umami. Crafted with cold-pressed grapeseed oil, crunchy garlic, and fiery Cambodian chilis, this vegan, gluten-free chili oil packs layers of flavor that elevate any dish. Spicy, savory, and irresistibly addictive, it’s a great kitchen essential. They have two levels of flavor: OG heat and mild.
Seattle Siagon
This is a handed down family recipe (Sa Tế to Vietnamese) that has been most sold at the On Waverly AAPI book store. You can use this to spice up all your broth-based soups, marinades for all your proteins, dipping sauce, vegetables, fried rice and much more! It has a grittier taste to it, though the chili pieces are even. This reminds me more of lao gan ma, the OG chili sauce.
KariKari Chili Oil
KariKari is my go-to when I want to add texture and crunch to rice. My favorite to eat it with is the Trader Joe’s Japanese Style fried rice, as the rice has a good qq bite to it, and the chili oil adds a bit of the crunch.
Sharing what they wrote on the website, “KariKari Garlic Chili Crisp is a spicy chili oil for the flavor-curious who are looking to add a serious Ka-Boom! Crispy bits of garlic, shallot, and peanut give a satisfying crunchy experience while numerous varieties of chili peppers bring the heat.”
Habanero Sauce from Local SF Restaurant King of Noodles
One of my favorite restaurants in Sunset, San Francisco is King of Noodle. It’s a hole in the wall type of restaurant with prices from $10-13 USD. It has delicious chow mein, dumplings, and beef noodle soup. I love eating the beef chow mein with the habanero orange sauce, which really packs a punch. I bought an entire bottle for $8 and plan to also eat it with my future burritos, tacos, and other noodles.
TAHO Chili Sauces (from Singapore)
I always bring some of these delicious chili sauces when I come back from Singapore. My favorite is Taho Lemon Chili Sauce, a delicious spicy chili sauce that can be applied to many dishes. This popular sauce is created from sun ripened chillies into a smooth paste with the addition of fresh chili, chili Padi, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt and lemon.
