LAOGANMA Crispy Chilli in Oil. No list of international favourite hot sauces would be complete without Lao Gan Ma Crispy Chilli in Oil.
Sometimes just called LGM is a delicious crispy chilli oil that has achieved a cult status here in the UK. Lao Gan Ma (Chinese: 老干妈; also called Laoganma) or Old Godmother is a brand of chili sauces made in China. The product is sold in China and over 30 other countries. Lao Gan Ma is credited with popularizing Chinese chili oil and chili crisp condiments in the western world, and have inspired many Chinese-American chili-based condiments and sauces.
Tao Huabi is said to have invented the recipe in 1984 and in 1989, she set up a noodle restaurant in Guiyang, Guizhou. When she realized the popularity of her hot sauces she converted the restaurant into a specialty hot sauce shop to sell her sauces, especially her chilli oil sauce. In 1994 she borrowed two houses in the Guizhou province of China and hired 40 people in her new sauce factory. The company has endured challenges with counterfeiters and its own recipe. Despite its problems in 2014 Women of China magazine reported that the company’s assets were 190 million USD.
LAOGANMA Crispy Chilli in Oil is made with a soybean oil base, it’s packed with crispy flakes of dried chilli and onion, and flavoured with fermented soybeans, Sichuan pepper, and salt. The result is a moreish combination of salty, crispy, yet fairly mild chilli which adds extra flavour and crunch to a range of dishes without making them overwhelmingly spicy. It’s great drizzled over eggs, rice and noodle dishes but consider using it as a marinade for duck, tofu, or haloumi.
Find out more about this famous chilli sauce from China here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao_Gan_Ma
If this sounds interesting check out another fantastic international chilli oil Germano’s Roasted Chili Garlic Sauce in Olive Oil.