Why I’m addicted to this crispy chili oil—and why you will be too
We all have them: products we can’t live without. Favorite flavor makers we keep reaching for. Crispy chili oil is mine.
Some people can spoon their way through a whole jar of peanut butter. That’s me with crispy chili flakes in oil. It all started with the mother of all crispy chili oils: Old Mother Crispy chilli in oil. You can pick up a jar like that at Albert Heijn for four euros. Other supermarkets sell it too.
Crispy chili oil
By the way, this Chinese Old Mother flavor maker with fermented soybeans is also irresistible on peanut butter itself. I fry eggs in it, use it in marinades and keep experimenting with it. With varying degrees of success, though, because vanilla ice cream with crispy chili oil gave us an error. I still use Old Mother chili oil regularly, but the very best crispy chilli oils are made by Trouble & Spice.
And no, this isn’t sponsored; it’s sending love from one crispy chili oil lover to another. Trouble & Spice crispy chilli oils are incredibly layered, elegant and so delicious that once you’ve tasted them, you basically won’t want any other crispy chili oils.
Different varieties
Trouble & Spice was founded by Nicole McMahon. She traveled around the world for twenty years, lived on five different continents and got to know an enormous palette of flavors. She now lives in Schiedam, where she missed the spicier flavors from her time in Asia and Africa and memories of her childhood in Australia. And it turned out that crispy chili oil was the answer. She created a series of flavor makers that add an incredible spicy and crunchy touch to all kinds of dishes with just a few drops.
There’s the spicy Smokin’ Señorita (Mexican crispy chilli oil), made with three different Mexican peppers, pumpkin seeds, garlic and a hint of salt. Amazing on tacos and smashed avocado on toast.
Chinese-style crispy chilli oil
With the Chinese-style crispy chilli oil, you can make the ultimate tofu dish. And the best wontons. Stir it into your peanut sauce. And irresistible: scrambled tofu with crispy chili on bread. And all it takes is a few drops!
As a lover of Turkish cuisine, I’m also a huge fan of Trouble & Whale (Turkish crispy chilli oil). Incredibly delicious over hummus—and even better with Karsu’s amazing pastrami hummus. I also love drizzling it over fresh gözleme that I buy at my Turkish supermarket.
1st prize at the European Hot Sauce Awards
And I almost forgot Yum Phrik! The Thai crispy chili oil even won first prize at the European Hot Sauce Awards in the Best Chili Oil category! Mix it into noodles for a magical Thai touch. Drizzle it over Thai oysters, your cucumber salad, dip your Thai sweet potato balls in it or spoon it over barbecue skewers. You won’t believe your taste buds!
Oh, speaking of cucumber salad… Make Sichuanese smashed cucumber salad and drizzle Trouble & Spice Numb Numb over it. This Sichuan chilli crisp will make your tongue tingle delightfully.
Tip: get it delivered quickly!
For €3.50, you can already bring home a jar of pure happiness. You can order it from the Trouble & Spice website. There you’ll also find various recipes for all the ways you can use this divine stuff.
Also read:
- Recipe: Parmesan polenta with cavolo nero, egg and crispy chili oil
- Ultimate food destination: Singapore—and these are the places you’ll want to visit
- Freshly made ramen, step by step
