What is Lao Gan Ma, and can you make it at home?

How to make chili crisp? It's an increasingly popular chili sauce - particularly Lao Gan Ma, of course - and in this video we wanted to show you how to make it yourself at home.
But in addition to a recipe, we also wanted to show you... where this stuff came from. So in addition to a bit of a love letter to the Guizhou province (where chili crisp is from), we also wanted to dive into a bit of the history of Lao Gan Ma, and what made them unique.
Written recipe's over here on /r/cooking:
/ some_background_on_lao...
A few links to a couple videos that I used here. Always need a touch of extra b-roll :)
Monkey Abroad's trip to Guiyang. He always makes good stuff, definitely check out his channel too if you like travel vlog kind of content:
• Traveling for $20 A Da...
John Cena expressing his undying love for Lao Gan Ma (Chinese):
• John Cena 180923 Chili...
There was one shot of Juanfen from a couple vloggers (Chinese):
• 【鑫哥】听说贵州榕江的卷粉很好吃，五块一碗，...
Footage of the canteen is courtesy of KZbinr “欧文老师”. It's the canteen of Zhejiang University:
• 【浙大Vlog】EP.2 浙大食堂超便宜？吃...
And I think that's it. Check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!
/ chinesecookingdemystified
Outro Music: "Add And" by Broke For Free
/ broke-for-free
ABOUT US
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learn how to cook real deal, authentic Chinese food! We post recipes every Tuesday (unless we happen to be travelling) :)
We're Steph and Chris - a food-obsessed couple that lives in Shenzhen, China. Steph is from Guangzhou and loves cooking food from throughout China - you'll usually be watching her behind the wok. Chris is a long-term expat from America that's been living in China and loving it for the last nine years - you'll be listening to his explanations and recipe details, and doing some cooking at times as well.
This channel is all about learning how to cook the same taste that you'd get in China. Our goal for each video is to give you a recipe that would at least get you close to what's made by some of our favorite restaurants here. Because of that, our recipes are no-holds-barred Chinese when it comes to style and ingredients - but feel free to ask for tips about adaptations and sourcing too!

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Hey guys, a few notes: 1. Ok, so the Sichuan peppercorns and the toasted sesame seeds. Apologies for rushing those in at the end there - the video was already proving to be on the long side. For the Sichuan peppercorns, toast them in a dry wok over a medium flame until little oil splotches start to form, ~2 minutes. Then grind in a mortar until more or less a powder. As for the sesame seeds… same deal, but take them out when they’re *just* starting to pop, ~3-4 minutes. As for pounding the sesame seeds, you want to *just* crack them, just to release a touch of oil. 2. I’m worried that in the video I wasn’t sure if I sufficiently answered “what makes Lao Gan Ma unique”? Lao Gan Ma’s original sauce was the douchi-heavy black soybean chili - the douchi-heavy sort make for ideal toppings for Liangfen. Different places in China have their own ways of fermenting douchi - Lao Gan Ma’s is actually proprietary. If you happen to live in a place where you can specifically buy Sichuan-style douchi, those would be much closer… we used Cantonese-style douchi because that’s usually what’s available outside of China. 3. I’m going to sound like a bit of a curmudgeon here, but it always makes me scratch my head when I see certain English language sources put out a recipe for things they… obviously don’t know how to make. There’s no shame in ignorance of course - like, we’ve been working on trying to make proper hand-pulled noodles for years now and still can’t quite get it. But we wouldn’t *try to teach people* yet, you know? I guess I… expect more from the Bon Appetits of the world. 4. Most English language recipes for chili crisp seem to be derived from Danny Bowien’s recipe in his Mission Chinese cookbook. Which seems to (a) use the Sichuan technique for chili oil and (b) be strangely super heavy on shallot (we’ve never seen shallot in Guizhou cuisine). Danny Bowien’s sort of proudly a mad scientist though, so it’s hard to make a value judgement there. SeriousEats interestingly came the closest, with their toasting of the chilis, basing the chili mix around Kashmiri chili (surprisingly close to Chicken Claw), and addition of MSG (very important here, Lao Gan Ma is *really* heavy on MSG). 5. I know this was a longer one. I'm never sure whether you guys like listen to me blab on and on about food/history or if you prefer straight up recipes. 6. An apology and a big thank you to Mikael Pashkov, Jesse Youngblood, and Andrew Carrier. I’ll get you guys up in the credits next week, promise. I was editing this on the plane and didn’t get the chance to update the outro with the most recent patrons. Travelling in the USA now, so if we're a touch less responsive than usual, that's why :)

[@SkkyJuse]

@Chinese Cooking Demystified I am always happy to listen to all that you have to say, I find it fascinating and informative. Two thumbs up!

[@TheLazyGeniuses]

There are few trustworthy sources on Chinese cooking and ingredients in English. Any information you give us could be the only chance we'd have to learn about it.

[@jenniferb585]

Can't speak for anyone else, but you just ramble on about the history of Chinese cuisine as long as you want. I'm pretty sure I'd watch your videos on just that without any cooking in them. Same for the length of the vid. No reason to apologize, if a longer video is needed to get the job done, go for it. Don't drag a 5min vid out to 30, but don't cram a 30 min vid into a 10 min slot either. You two are doing a great job, keep it up!

[@artcoughlin8403]

I love when your videos run on the longer side! I’m excited to soak in all that I can. Like someone above said, there are so few reliable english language sources on chinese cuisine and your channel is absolutely invaluable.

[@theeverythingengineer]

Thanks alot for the recipe ive been looking how to make this sauce . .. .i bought the bean version and eat with rice or make stir fried recipe with it. .. What's the best substitute for the liquor ( non alcoholic option)?

[@les5247]

I heard this stuff is good on popcorn. The guy who told me is clinically insane though.

[@duncemckagen]

Pepcorn hits

[@ILostMyOreos]

You mean Brian David Gilbert?

[@purple-flowers]

I was looking for this lol

[@OyVeey]

You'd need to eat it with rubber gloves on though, unless you wanted your hands to turn everything red

[@Acidlib]

Dryin’ Gay-Vid Billbert

[@terrencehopkins5801]

On video length: if we want the short, to the point version of a recipe or the "easy" Westernized variety there are pleeeeenty of sources out there. When I come to this channel it's usually BECAUSE of the deep dive into Chinese cuisine. Y'all provide very helpful context for flavors, cuisines and history which greatly informs my understanding of a dish as well as what the original "should" be. So, yeah. All for super long videos detailing the intricacies of Chinese cuisine variation!

[@Maschinengoth]

Exactly this. I can find countless recipes that tell me to just "chuck whatever chilis, chili paste, fermented whatever and some oil together"...the results are as random as expected, and this channel explains to me why I use a certain kind of thing so I can substitute with available stuff. Much better and much more fun!

[@cherrymetha3185]

Terence Hopkins , well said! Now I'd like a channel that explained Indian food in the same way !

[@shirshanyaroy287]

@@cherrymetha3185 I'm a bit late but check out Ranveer Brar. He's a celebrity chef and he makes common Indian recipes and he explains everything.

[@SuperGoomba6464]

Cringr

[@HELENGodLoves]

I watch Helen from Giorgia ... If it's an under an hour of your video learnin me stuff... I'll watch 🤗

[@tinysurvivor4663]

I really enjoy the segments where you start exploring the food history of certain regions like you did here. I could watch a whole vid on just that

[@meowcula]

I'll second that.

[@nintendonut100]

Same

[@gabriel_kyne]

same

[@daoyang223]

He's done it a few times.

[@yancao3499]

You should check out tasting history if you like that

[@lishange1449]

A note on the dou gan: in Asian grocery stores in the US, it's often labeled 'Dry Pressed Tofu' or 'Dry Press Tofu' in English. It's also frequently sold marinated in soy sauce and spices, in which case it's usually a dark brown color.

[@Gabethecreeper]

12 minutes of Chinese Cooking Demystified? Hell yes.

[@zqlove2009]

is that photo really yourself ?

[@firstnamelastname9646]

Bugs Bunnysupdoc u got something against the product? U are putting in a lot of effort replying under all those people’s comments! Don’t think it’s gonna change anyone’s mind. As someone else stated, a little amount isn’t gonna hurt. What’s so unhealthy about it? Any sources to back up your claim? ✌️ you only live once so enjoy the little things!🤙

[@rigsshiver823]

Bing chilling 🥶 vs Lao gan ma🥵

[@lige8795]

Hello! I am from Guizhou and I just want to let you know that I appreciated your video. Thank you for making this video.

[@tofu_golem]

Mix a little bit of Lao gan ma into cream cheese, then smear it on a toasted sesame seed bagel. You can thank me later.

[@lorrie2878]

Never thought of that! I put mexican salsa in cottage cheese, so that is right up my alley!

[@pleasenoginger5149]

Maybe add some chopped green onion?

[@ruthespiritu502]

Paul T Sjordal gotta get myself some lao gan ma first. Thanks my dude

[@lorrie2878]

@@ruthespiritu502 send me some.

[@lorrie2878]

@shin chan why?

[@seankim2743]

I really like how Chris says Chinese words properly. At first I thought he was Chinese American dude explaining things. No, it was a white guy speaking both languages like it's nothing. So cool.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Haha I mean, I've got a thick American accent. And if I ever try my hand at Cantonese in the narration it usually goes poorly ;)

[@spike378]

I believe he was speaking mandarin. Chinese includes many dialect

[@cherrymetha3185]

Actually Chris , a Chinese mate watched your vid and thought that you were Chinese. So you don't have an American accent when you pronounce Chinese words.

[@krabbcake8371]

@@cherrymetha3185 There's no need to patronize him... His chinese is really good but he does have a strong accent.

[@dansedevie123]

@@cherrymetha3185 Chinese is my mother tongue. I thought that he was either a native English speaker or perhaps a Chinese speaker who Americanized Chinese words for anglophone audiences. In any case the words are not pronounced as they would be in Chinese. But he's understood and makes an effort, and that's all that matters. Everyone has an accent anyway, even in their native language... embrace it!

[@jaddaher3823]

Next we want how to make tasty BING CHILLING

[@violetviolet888]

Chris, re: "Apologies for rushing those in at the end there - the video was already proving to be on the long side". Please, don't rush. We subscribe to your channel because you are a valuable and meaningful link to one of the oldest, most significant culinary cultural legacies the world has to offer-that of Chinese cuisine via the depths of regional diversity. The result of thousands of years of evolution with human relationship to the land over at least the last 13,000 years. Due to China's closed and censored internet, we are all grateful to you and Steph for the research you do. Providing insight into history, with the thoughtful and thorough attention to context and detail in which you share, along with the simple (while being complex) techniques that are truly best learned when passed down from generation-to-generation. These are extraordinary insights into our past. Again, please don't feel the need to rush. We are here because we choose to be. My favorites are those with Steph's father. ; )

[@deadfr0g]

Me reading the video title: “What is Lao Gan Ma...” Haha, _finally_ a creative cop-out video from this channel! Well I’m not going to judge. Nobody is an infinite wellspring of ideas, and they’ve been churning out high-quality content now for years... “...and can you make it at home?” OH SHI-

[@tikus-sq4xi]

I love all your videos. They are genuine, authentic and very easy to follow. I'm a Singaporean living in Ireland. Whenever I feel like having a Chinese meal, I follow your recipes and never your regretted. Always enjoyed cooking your step by step guide and always enjoyed the dishes. Thank you for good work and may long it last. Good on you and all the best to you and your missus.

[@roserenee1212]

Finally, I know the name of what I've been calling grandma sauce for years

[@jacquesc0usteau]

I've been LOVING your videos since I first saw them the other day! You're both amazing! I LOVE listening to you talking about the history of dishes and ingredients, please don't skip it!! I feel like knowing what you're working with is one thing, but knowing ABOUT it and origins and substitutes and such is paramount to being a good cook!

[@damon1717]

I love that so many of your videos are filled with origin stories and steeped in Chinese culture. Truly one of my favorite channels!

[@m13b]

More Steph art is the real reason to watch this video

[@HongKongBlog]

This kind of blew my mind! Been thinking about different Chinese chilli sauces and how to source the ones I like and what makes them different from each other (we have about eight different chilli sauce and chilli oil jars in our fridge now) so I love this kind of specific and geeky food explanation!

[@ArtOnion]

The best episode yet! Fantastic work, you guys. Thank you for this.

[@mystickwon2970]

I love hearing about the history and origins of all these dishes , if you guys made a mini series about different regional cuisines and how they came to be ...that would be too good, you guys are super thorough with your execution and research, Keep it up and greetings from Canada !!!

[@orangade604]

Truly excellent video, love having the history of the dish... especially Steph’s drawings. The amount of work you both out in is incredible. I was very happy to be a Patron for 6 months and when I am back working more regularly I’ll gladly be a Patron again!

[@cugntear]

Bing chilling

[@dailyblankscreen7938]

John xina

[@natebanks]

Amazing work, as always. Thank you both!

[@VitalChinese]

This channel is amazing, how u go in deep details abt everyday ingredients with such awesome narration.. thank u for such high quality work.

[@Mars_architects_bali]

Awesome .. finally a channel with depth and precision!

[@happyszzzzs2173]

🥶🍧bing chilling 🥶🍧

[@kithid]

I love what you guys do to explain food and ingredients. It definitely opens up my eyes and appreciation for this cuisine. As a person who likes to make my own things as far as I am able, this is gold! Keep up the awesome work! :)

[@Smallshotty97]

I only recently discovered this at the local grocery store, and I am instantly in love with it. So many levels of flavor and texture. 💕

[@guppy0536]

Thought maybe i could make this yeah no 😧

[@g.h.7661]

@@guppy0536 I don’t think it’s possible to make it at home with that same depth of flavor without properly fermenting & aging the contents for the perfect amount of time with the exact same amount of preservatives. It is probably also affected by the order of ingredients; like are the salt & preservatives used with the beans or is that added to the whole thing later on?

[@CPrs3394]

Just watching this got me craving, couldn’t wait for rice, straight onto the mango in my fridge for a delicious snack on a hot night!

[@judyr7582]

Charlie Pearse oh! Yum!!!

[@bubbadeaux2962]

I love cooking authentic (as possible) Chinese cuisine. Your channel and SoupedUpRecipes are my faves. You both explain technique and the reasoning behind it, as well as talk about ingredients. LOVE your videos! Thanks for all the great information!

[@TheMagistrate8]

Love the history + recipe format! Keep em coming!

[@lordorielrising4673]

I just bought some on Amazon. Love it. On the recipes of yours that I’ve tried to ape, I’ve made the closest food to matching the flavors in recipes I had 40 years ago from the Chinese girls I met at college. They’d cook dishes and spend hours discussing recipes. I tried to study what they did but I couldn’t replicate any. Thank you so much. I’ve tried on my own to make dishes but they always taste American and not as flavorful. Have you heard of a chicken thigh & hard boiled brown soy flavored egg recipe with shiitake and dark soy sauce? It was to die for and I haven’t tasted it in 40 years. The memory is seared in my heart.

[@jt5660]

bing chilling

[@ArmouredUnicorn]

I just had my first bowl of rice with chilli crisp lao gan ma and i can't believe i've spent 25 years with this absent in my life. Thankyou! Love from the UK

[@PabloC49]

Took me over 2 weeks to source and prep these ingredients. Made a 3x batch and I do not regret it! Will make again, thanks for this in depth video and recipe!

[@Ianthe22]

love how you make a point to show out what the difference is in between the two regions different chili oils. One is lightly soaked up in hot oil and the other actually has the chili flakes crisp up in the hot oil. Another point is that you can also put in some crispy diced onions into it.

[@jessyca9833]

There's seems to be so much more about chili sauces and you seem so knowledgeable. I'd love to have a whole video taking a step back and teaching me what are the different chili sauces, history, and provinces... This is a wonderful video and I have so much to learn - thank you so much! EDIT: OMG I just discovered HOW comprehensive your reddit posts are..!!! Thank you SO SO MUCH for being so educational and precise. I appreciate the dedication, research, and history really much. I can't wait to try to chili sauce! Thanks a lot!

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Cheers! Yeah a 'Chinese chili sauce' primer might be cool, but oh man... there'd be just so much ground to cover. Tbh I'm just not sure how to approach it, structurally. I'll mull it over :) And yeah, totally check out the Reddit posts. While sometimes they're more-or-less a written version of the video, I'm also able to go in depth in ways that I can't on KZbin (people tend to prefer punchier videos, and honestly... any video over ten minutes ends up being a beast to edit haha).

[@jessyca9833]

@@ChineseCookingDemystified Woah, thanks for replying! I agree I'm sure this type of video would be a biiiig task to create. In any case, thanks for putting these two difference on my radar. I'll continue learning about this for sure, I love spicy food. You and your family stay safe out there and thanks for cooking for our enjoyment and education! I'll stick around your channel for a long time for sure. Cheers!

[@geraldcournoyer6313]

Because of your videos, I just found/bought/tried Lao Gan Ma for the first time in my life. Didn’t know what to expect, but WOW - SO GOOD! Thanks!

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Yeah it's popular for a reason. I feel like all humans come into two categories: people that fall in love with Lao Gan Ma at the first bite, and those that need to grow into their obsession. I was actually the latter. But yes. I eat this shit on *so* many things haha.

[@tedwilliams7021]

I must say Thank you so much!’ I found Loa Gan Ma in my local Asian grocery store and am absolutely in love with the stuff! I find myself cooking extra rice at times so I can have some with Loa Gan ma as a snack. I just can’t get enough of it, and I am going to make my own following your recipe!

[@SkkyJuse]

I’m on the plane flying home from Peru right now. I was so surprised by how many Chinese and Chifa (Chinese + Peruvian) restaurants there are. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find good chili crisp, so I have been craving that uber spicy hit that I get from homemade chili oil and chili crisp. I can’t wait to try this version full of all sorts of goodies.

[@djlightless]

PSA: Eating Lao Gan Ma will increase your social credits

[@Bikuriya]

You have no idea how much I appreciate this video. Thank you very much for this.

[@jeremiasschoenherr]

Your Video changed my life. Picked up a bottle of Lao Gan Ma 2 days ago and nearly finished it already. Was so suprised to find it in my asian store here in Germany. I will definately try to do a home version. Thank you and greetings from Germany.

[@mymmy]

非常好 Great work! from a fellow foodie trying to decode chinese food culture while travelling and learning the language. I think you are the best non-chinese language source of information that is well researched and legit. The best being 美食作家王刚

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Wang Gang is the GOAT - I've learned a lot from him too. We're just happy if we can hang in the same league, haha.

[@jiyuanliu4362]

你们加油哦

[@danielwang2614]

I am from Guizhou. You even know that we 怕不辣?! You did a great job! Lao Gan Ma is actually not that spicy. People in Guizhou make their own spicy chilli source 油辣椒 at home and we use the dried chilli pepper from Zunyi. Your video bring me back to my childhood when my grandma and I shopped in the market and she taught me how to choose the right peppers. That was over 26 years ago… Thank you for your video!

[@thisissteph9834]

Hahaha, yeah, Zunyi chili is super spicy and we want it to be kinda close to Lao gan ma's taste so that people can build their own spicy level on it. We love Guizhou food so much and Chris and I were talking about how we think this video is our love letter to Guizhou. So, it's super nice to get approval from Guizhou locals!

[@fajarsetiawan8665]

Yeah, in Indonesia Lao Gan Ma is also used in many Chinese descent households. But for Indonesian taste in general, its spice level is pretty low. For me, it's barely spicy. Nonetheless it tastes really good.

[@johndelacruz8505]

Just stumbled upon your channel. Man it’s really good. You’re essentially connecting the east with the west. Keep up the good work. A like from me.

[@davidkjohnson1968]

This is my new favorite condiment! Thank you for introducing me to it, so much flavor and it’s great on almost anything 😃😃😃

[@fisherzhao1608]

That "非常好的 chilli sauce" caught me off guard and I had to rewind a few times, guess that's what Globalization means.

[@fisherzhao1608]

And thanks for the videos! Love your channel which is not only about receipt, but also the culture of food!

[@shirokisasaki3233]

That's John Cena，a WWE legend who absolutely loves Chinese cusine

[@arepea6087]

Luckily we live in San Francisco where not only do we have Chinatown but Clement Street and Irving Street to buy all this luscious good stuff. My Vietnamese wife is so happy I'm watching these videos and learning to cook more to her taste than mine. But the truth is I love heat and she's just learning to.

[@isaacplaysbass8568]

Loving Steph's prototype T-shirt designs! :) Thank you for yet another informative video.

[@kamil5550]

Wooo, one of my favourite videos in a while! The mushroom Lao Gan ma is my personal fav

[@kailuo4171]

Lol Can't believe yall did a drawing for the story. Great video,greeting from Guizhou

[@thisissteph9834]

Can't find enough footage for it, so drawing it is, lol.

[@Badslayer63]

I enjoyed the bit about the history. Would love to see that more often :)

[@eggpassion]

This was one of my favourite videos I've seen by a cooking KZbin channel. Over the last year I've seen at least 10 recipes for a spicy chilli oil that wasn't what i had in the jar and ive always wondered what's actually in there. I loved the history behind the oil too and id love to see more of that in your future videos, I watch this as a westerner with very little understanding of the varieties of Chinese food and their significance in each region and I would like to know more. Also, you're so right about point #3, after BAS pesto video I know that you need to pick and choose what recipes to accept from which channel. Everybody has their thing that they do well, doesn't mean you should try do everything and be mediocre at it. Looking forward to future videos, safe travels!

[@monochr0m]

Your longer videos are great, don't worry. Greetings from Germany :b

[@mariusberg6379]

Why dont this channel have more views!!!! It’s outrageous.... sometimes I recall why I hate the KZbin algorithm xD

[@jasminelee3935]

It's unfair!

[@jenilynneful]

Thank you for all the great info and entertaining vids!

[@000DAAN000]

Love your videos! Thank you for making them and keep it up!!

[@otto3207]

lol i just bought this for the first time like a week ago. i didnt know its polular. Just bought it to spice up my fried rice. Super cool history lesson! keep it up you guys are awesome!

[@AeroGold1]

I discovered it a few months ago just randomly shopping at my local Asian supermarket. Since then I have gone through at least 3-4 more jars of it. Only recently did I realize how popular it from reading food blogs.

[@dolan-duk]

LGM is like crack. Thank goodness it's readily available where I am...freakin' delicious stuff.

[@fryingpancakes8445]

I used to sell instant noodles to my dorm mates. I gave them LGM sauce on top for free and they also said the sauce is like crack lol

[@musikkritik6316]

You've been introduced to the power of the mighty MSG

[@MTMF.london]

Most likely because there is so much MSG in there. It is an artificial flavour enhancer which can cause severe allergy in some people.

[@sl6840]

@@MTMF.london But mostly it just makes stuff more yummy.

[@cherrymetha3185]

MSG is meant to be very bad for you. I can't remember why . Many Chinese restaurants in the Uk stopped using it years ago.

[@notchamama7571]

Wonderful and educational vid! I really appreciate the historical information and the in depth discussion of the myriad of ingredients that can be added to change the flavor of the sauce!

[@panagiotischristo]

Nice video. Like your channel, giving out; history of the food and the relationship to the Chinese culture. Great job.

[@brandon3872]

Great video as always. Could you please make a video explaining what Chu Hou Jiang is and how to use it? I recently came across it in a beef noodle soup recipe (which I cooked and it was delicious) 😊

[@barry63196]

Lao Gan Ma

[@elrud5964]

Thankyou for the video I love this stuff, can’t wait to try making my own.

[@BGRUBBIN]

great information in all your videos! thanks for explaining the history and how to eat these different dishes.

[@weebonyoutube3847]

+ 100’000 social credits 👍

[@timjung640]

I have this sauce. I can attest to how crazy delicious it is.

[@buddhatbay9041]

Just came across this video. LOVE this stuff!! I put it on almost everything!

[@TheNamesDitto]

You just got me hooked on Lao gan ma. Already on the second bottle!! I don't know how to live without it

[@eric_andrews]

One quick note / warning - I tried roasting a much hotter chili using the salt technique you recommended. It roasted them perfectly but my entire house was filled with the spiciest smoke imaginable, I had everyone coughing for about 30 minutes and we even had to go outside for a bit 😅 anyway, might be better to do outside. The sauce turned out perfect by the way, thanks for the amazing recipe! Do you have an alternate technique you would recommend to roast the dried chiils?

[@Nakedmole]

When the chili produces smoke that means the temperature is too high. Next time roast low and slow, the result also tastes much better - enjoy!

[@pra1005]

I couldn't find Dou chi for your mapo tofu recipe. Based on an obscure source which kind of implied it's a substitute, I bought Laogama preserved black beans version. Hope it will turn out fine!

[@thisissteph9834]

Yeah, that version is full of douchi, so you can totally use it. It'll add a bit more oil and salinity.

[@Shrifbun]

I'm so glad to refer back to this video as less of a recipe and more like a technique guide for making an insanely addictive condiment. I've made several batches now and it gets better every time as I dial in exactly what flavor I want. Even in a city with a few asian markets, I can't really get the typical dried chiles without paying out the nose. However, because I'm in the Southern US and cook a lot of Puerto Rican and Mexican food, I have about 10 large bags of dried arbol, chipotle, guajillo, pasilla, ancho, etc. And only one of the bags cost me more than $2. After a few batches, I've found that a mix of Arbol, guajillo and pasilla add the right flavors of earthy, fruity, and spicy. All of the ingredients I've added to my chile crisps may add up to more than a $4 jar of LGM, But it's certainly less than the $12-15 a bottle of Fly by Jing's crisp. And every ingredients is a pantry staple of mine so the process to make a new batch actually doesn't cost anything. If you're trying to replicate LGM exactly when you could just buy it, yeah seems like a waste of time. But to make a condiment to your exactly spicy and salt level and make your house smell spectacular in the process, it is a technique well worth learning.

[@dbarnes3079]

Of course I ordered this! Love you guys🎈

[@MagdaleneNimptsch]

Laoganma can and should also be used in Western dishes. Rule of thumb in my experience: Everything that tastes good with Cheese, tastes even better with Laoganma. It's especially tasty on Pizza, with Pasta or anything with a creamy Sauce really ^^

[@nintendonut100]

Now you got me wondering what it would be like in lasagna

[@danielyu8022]

Put this stuff on hamburgers and casseroles.

[@nintendonut100]

@@danielyu8022 that sounds great, especially hamburgers, I've used it in stews to good effect before

[@johnrekall8410]

@@nintendonut100 It goes well with meat, tomatoes, cheese and pasta, so I'm sure it would work very well.

[@78deathface]

I always refer to this as “Serious Chinese Man Sauce” because of the guy on the jar, but now I guess it’s a woman??

[@thisissteph9834]

Yes, it's a woman, lol. The name of the brand means "old godmother".

[@fryingpancakes8445]

@@thisissteph9834 Now I am imagining her secretly running a Mafia and using the sauce brand as a cover

[@MagdaleneNimptsch]

In my Family we call it "Hong Kong grandma", because she always looked like an old lady from Hong Kong to me.

[@Changbastard]

My brother introduced it to me as "Angry Woman Sauce".

[@junglehumm2028]

@@fryingpancakes8445 And she is giving us an offer that we cannot refuse lol

[@rileyking6097]

My biggest achievement of today is that I found your channel. I am so happy lol

[@becky06751]

I love love love this stuff! Thank you for sharing the recipe?

[@adastra3147]

As an Italian I love this, I respect Chinese food culture and I find it very interesting

[@ericbarnett6771]

My girlfriend is from Wuhan, and calls this "Grandma's Sauce". We always have a few bottles around the house.

[@IamMagsB]

how are they doing there at Wuhan now?

[@2BXD]

Nice

[@user-ok7hl1ir8m]

really safe in WUHAN

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

@@user-ok7hl1ir8m no it’s not

[@BFTOBIN]

Been using for quite a while now. Really good stuff !!!

[@bleh6339]

Honestly I’m just impressed by how well you’re pronouncing Lao gan ma

[@888SpinR]

I just made a fresh batch of Sichuan chilli oil! Guess it's time to source a new jar.

[@deadfr0g]

Jars are expensive! Probably best to just eat your entire current batch all in one sitting.

[@meowcula]

You can't have enough chili oils!

[@Null_76]

A Cautionary Tale: I tend to make large batches of food and I like it very hot. So genius that I am I decided to do 5X this recipe using 100% arbols. The real fun started when it came to the toasting step. Once the chiles began to toast my kitchen was engulfed in a cloud of death. It smelled great, and I probably would have liked it more if my eyes, nose and lungs weren't on fire. It took a while for it to dissipate. The lesson here: use ventilation if you try something like this.

[@lamemechose7072]

I eat enough that it’s financially well worth the effort, but gassing the entire house with aerosolized chilis is exactly why I’m terrified to make this at home.

[@Null_76]

@@lamemechose7072 It was painful, especially in the lungs. It took over an hour for the burning to stop. I would arrange to do it outside, if ever again

[@g.h.7661]

When you say toast are you referring to getting a crust or drying something out? If it’s the latter, couldnt you toast them in the oven the same way we use it to dry small chiles to preserve them? Like just keep it on the lowest possible temp for 3+ hours & keep going for like an hour after they look & feel fully dried? It won’t cause a cloud or smoke or for chile dust to go into the air, it won’t even really create a smell. And even if that is still possible, you’ll turn them off as soon as it starts, and keep the oven closed. It should dissipate completely within an hour.

[@Kapwan]

Really glad to find this recipe. I can't have Lao Gan Ma due to peanut allergies. However I was able to create a similar flavor profile using the recipe in this video and subbing in sunflower seeds for peanuts. So glad I can finally enjoy such a great tasting sauce.

[@comedyandparodychannel4793]

Great explanation of the whole process and why. Love it

[@rebelcolorist]

Hi!! I'm new to your channel, but I love all the history, info and of course... The FOOD !! Question: can I use Korean chilies, the short that they use for cooking and making kimchi? The intense redness and fruitiness that they have sound similar to the Chicken Claw variety. Let me know... And keep up the awesomeness!! 👍👍👍👍

[@thisissteph9834]

Korean chili should work too, you can also play with combinations, use some chili for heat and some for fragrant. But remember to use dry whole chili to toast, then pounded though, 'cause I don't think straight up chili powder will work (which is most common form of Korean chili from what I know).

[@rebelcolorist]

Actually, they have these chilies for sale here in Toronto in while dried form... Yay!!

[@benyammiinn]

bin chilling

[@ghurabanour]

Been chilling

[@erikkrauss8481]

Zhong Xina

[@13hoursago]

Damn i love this channel ! Excellent work, thank you.

[@abbdoer]

Love the channel guys! 👌🏼

[@ExploreSoilLife]

1:25 The scientific name for "fish wort" plant is "Houttuynia cordata".

[@48956l]

Nah you’re thinking of the lion king

[@rubenanjavreesma7235]

Just wondering if there are other names for the long peppers. I can’t find them, would love to grow them!

[@thisissteph9834]

It should be in the same category of Kashmir chili, but I can't seem to find any Latin name for it.

[@John-Philip]

Seems to be a "longhorn" chilli I reckon

[@KinLee919]

try 皱椒（Zhoujiao）or 线辣（Xianla）

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

@John Philip Awesome, you nailed it! Thanks. Found a supplier for the seeds. They're currently out of stock, but you might be able to contact them: www.chileseeds.co.uk/shop/guizhou-longhorn-chilli-seeds/

[@John-Philip]

@@ChineseCookingDemystified Yeah, I just ordered some from a local shop, but it looks like that was the last they had as it also says out of stock now: www.chillihead.co.za/index.php?_route_=thunder-mountain-longhorn-chilli-seeds&search=longhorn

[@Bear-cm1vl]

Not being a particular lover of hot spice for the first part of my life, I have been resistant to trying a lot of the chili sauces and oils. Oh boy have I been missing a depth of flavors and the perfect spice bite for a plain steamed rice! Steamed sticky rice, a tablespoon or two of Lao Gan Ma a small tray of pickled vegetables and greens makes a perfect dinner after working outside all day. Thank you both for sharing your experience!

[@tzw001]

Guys, I love you - this made my day!!!

[@kagarukinagaru4530]

K R A C C B A C C

[@romanista9776]

John Xina brought me here.

[@shaolin6]

Lao Gan Man has been around for ages. this is life especially the bean one

[@adazeng7609]

good job making another guizhou flavor video! I am biased because i am from there but so proud to know our food is being enjoyed by other culture.

[@jcman-lp6lg]

wow... this channel gave me a new found respect towards John Cena