East Asia China brand
you la jiao (fried chili in oil) with black beans
Chili oil is a distinctive Sichuan flavoring found mainly in cold dishes, as well as a few hot dishes. Chili oil is made by pouring hot oil onto a bowl of dried chilies, to which some Sichuan pepper is usually added. After steeping in hot oil for at least a few hours, the oil takes on the taste and fragrance of chili. The finer the chili is ground, the stronger the flavor (regional preferences vary; ground chili is usually used in western China, while whole dried chili is more common in northern China.) Chinese chili sauces usually come as a thick paste, and are used either as a dipping sauce or in stir frying.
Doubanjiang originates from
Sichuan cuisine in which chilis are used liberally. It is made from broad bean or soybean paste, and usually contains a fair amount of chili. It is often referred to in English as "chili bean sauce".
Guilin (Kweilin) chili sauce (
Guìlín làjiāojiàng 桂林辣椒醬) is made of fresh chili, garlic and fermented soybeans; it also is marketed as soy chili sauce (la jiao jiang and la dou ban jiang are not the same thing, though they look vaguely similar in the jar).
Duo jiao (duò jiāo 剁椒) originates from
Hunan cuisine, which is reputed to be even spicier than Sichuan cuisine.
Duo means chopped, and
jiao means chili.
Duo jiao is made of chopped red chilis pickled in a brine solution, and has a salty and sour pickled taste; it is the key flavoring in the signature Hunan dish
duòjiāo yútóu (剁椒魚頭), fish head steamed with chopped chili.
XO sauce is spicy seafood sauce from
Hong Kong. It is commonly used in southern Chinese regions like
Guangdong province.
Yongfeng chili sauce is a traditional fermented hot sauce.
You la jiao (油辣椒, fried chili in oil) is a
Guizhou-style chili oil sauce, with fried bits of ground chili and other crispy ingredients.
Chili crisp is a similar condiment mainly composed of crunchy soybeans and chili.
Lao Gan Ma is a famous maker of both products.
Japan Rāyu (chili oil) is the same as
la jiao you, and is often used for dishes such as
gyoza.
Yuzu koshō is a Japanese fermented paste made from chili peppers,
yuzu peel, and salt.
Kōrēgūsu, made of chilis infused in
awamori rice spirit, is a popular condiment to Okinawan dishes such as
Okinawa soba. The word "
kōrē" refers to Korea (
Goguryeo).
Korea Chili oil used in
Korean cuisine is made by adding
gochugaru (
Korean chili powder/flakes) to hot oil (usually
sesame oil and/or
vegetable oil) in the final stage of stir-frying and before adding water, in soup dishes like
yukgaejang and
sundubu-jjigae.
Dadaegi is a chili paste made by mixing ground or minced red, and dried red chili peppers (or chili powder/flakes) along with ground or minced garlic, onions, ground black pepper, salt or soy sauce, sugar, meat stock, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds. It is added to dishes like
naengmyeon (cold noodle soup) or
dwaeji-gukbap (pork soup with rice) to add spiciness.
Gochujang, or red chili paste, is a savory, sweet, and spicy
fermented condiment made with
chili powder,
glutinous rice flour,
meju (fermented soybean) powder, barley
malt powder, and salt. The sweetness comes from the starch of cooked glutinous rice, cultured with
saccharifying enzymes during the fermentation process. Traditionally, it has been naturally
fermented over years in
jangdok (earthenware) on an elevated stone platform, called
jangdokdae, in the
backyard.
Ssamjang is a thick, spicy paste eaten with grilled meat, often in
ssam (vegetable wraps), in
Korean barbecue. It is made of
doenjang (soybean paste),
gochujang (chili paste),
sesame oil, onion, garlic, green onions, and optionally sugar.
Southeast Asia Laos Jaew bong is a sweet and spicy Laotian chili paste.
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore Sambal is a generic term for many varieties of chili-based sauces popular in
Brunei,
Indonesia,
Malaysia,
Singapore and
Sri Lanka. Most sambals are traditionally made using a stone pestle and mortar, according to each recipe. Nevertheless, there are some bottled mass-produced sambal brands today.
Saus cabai (Indonesia) or
sos cili (Malaysia and Brunei), a category of its own, uses tomato puree, chili juice, sugar, salt and some other spices or seasonings to give the spicy, but not too hot, taste. Some countryside commercial varieties use
bird's eye chili (
cili padi,
cabai rawit or
burung) together with its seeds to raise the level of heat (piquancy) of the sauce. Variants include the typical concoctions with ginger and garlic (for chicken rice) and variants that are made into a gummy consistency as with ketchup/tomato sauce. In
Indonesia, the bottled commercially available chili sauce is known as bottled
saus cabai. They are also commonly known as bottled
sambal. However, unlike the coarse-textured and richly flavored traditional
sambal, this bottled
sambal or chili sauce has an even gloppy texture similar to that of tomato sauce, and rather simple hot flavor. Unlike traditional
sambal, enriched with
shrimp paste, the commercial sambal sauce usually uses finely blended red chili pepper and garlic, and sometimes a little bit of sugar, without any addition of shrimp paste.
Philippines The generic term for
dipping sauces in the
Philippines is
sawsawan, which may or may not include chilis. Unlike sauces in other Southeast Asian regions, most
sawsawan are not prepared beforehand, but are assembled at the table according to the preferences of the diner. As such, chilis are usually optional. However, there are also native sauces and pastes which utilize chilis as main ingredients. The most common is the traditional Filipino
sweet and sour sauce known as
agre dulce (or
agri dulci), which is made from
cornstarch, salt, sugar,
labuyo chilis, and tomato or
banana ketchup. It is the traditional dipping sauces of fried dishes like
lumpia or
okoy. A similar sauce used for fried street food appetizers is known simply as "manong's sauce" or "fishball sauce". It is named after
manong, a term of respect used for an older man in
Tagalog and the most common way of addressing street food vendors. It is made with flour or cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, labuyo chilis, ground pepper, and
muscovado or
brown sugar. Lime or lemon-flavored
carbonated soft drinks may also be used. Another spicy condiment used for street food is "siomai sauce" or "chili garlic sauce". It is usually eaten with Philippine
siomai. It uses minced labuyo chilis, garlic, and powdered dried shrimp or finely minced meat simmered in water and then oil. It takes on a flavor similar to Chinese
chili oil-infused dim sum sauces, which are its ultimate origin. It is typically spritzed with
calamansi before eating. Among the
Maranao people, another notable condiment is
palapa, a very spicy condiment made from
sakurab (native scallions), ginger,
turmeric, and labuyo chilis. It is an ubiquitous accompaniment to Maranao meals.
Thailand Thais put raw chilies on a very wide variety of food, in lieu of chili sauces. Chili sauces are eaten as condiments but they can also be used as an ingredient.
Nam phrik is the generic name for a Thai chili dip or paste. A Thai cookbook from 1974 lists over 100 different recipes.
Nam phrik phao (roasted chili paste),
nam phrik num (pounded grilled green chili paste) and
nam phrik kapi (chili paste made with fermented
shrimp paste) are some of the more well-known varieties. Many Thai dipping sauces (
nam chim) contain chili peppers.
Nam chim chaeo uses ground dried chili peppers to achieve its spiciness. Available worldwide is
nam chim kai, also known as "chili sauce for chicken" or "Thai sweet chili sauce".
Phrik nam pla is
fish sauce (
nam pla) with chopped raw chilies, lime juice and sometimes garlic.
Sriracha sauce is a type of hot sauce or chili sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt. It is named after the coastal city of
Si Racha, in the
Chonburi Province of
Eastern Thailand, where it was possibly first produced for dishes served at local seafood restaurants. A type of chili sauce is Thai
sweet chili sauce, which is used as a dipping sauce, a marinade, and for cooking, such as in
stir-fried dishes. and is also sometimes used in the preparation of
sushi. Some versions of
nam phrik, a range of chili-based hot sauces typical of
Thai cuisine, are sweetened with sugar.
Vietnam Vietnamese
tương ớt (chili sauce) is made from sun-ripened chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. It is very popular in Vietnamese cuisine, often used in a wide variety of foods.
South Asia Chili (Hindi: mirch), fresh, semi-dried or dried, is a crucial ingredient throughout
South Asia, with multiple strains having arrived through Portuguese trade from the sixteenth century. Many varieties are now popular in different parts of the sub-continent such as
Naga chilli from
Nagaland,
Chamba Chukh from
Himachal Pradesh,
Guntur chilli from
Andhra Pradesh, and Jwala chilli from
Gujarat, among others. Hot sauces proper, however, were not common until recent decades, as varieties such as
bhut jolokia and
naga morich attained global fame. In Nepal, nun-khursani is a popular condiment made with salt and chilli peppers like akabare on a grinding stone called a . This is often used as a
chutney and can be eaten with many meals and snacks like
dal bhat, roasted corn, grilled chicken, cucumbers, oranges, and more.
Chilli chutney is an Indian chilli pepper condiment with spices and herbs. === Middle East and
North Africa ===
Levant and Arabia Shatta (
Arabic: شطة
shaṭṭah) is a popular hot sauce made from wholly grounded fresh chili peppers by mixing them with oil (usually
olive). Vinegar, garlic, or other spices are commonly added. There are two varieties of shatta: green and red. The red variety is made with tomatoes. It is made from
piri piri or similarly hot peppers. The degree of hotness varies according to the type of chili used and preference of the maker (homemade shatta is usually hotter than commercial brands). It is commonly used in
falafel sandwiches,
hummus dishes, or as a condiment.
Muhammara (
muḥammarah) is a hot pepper dip made from
Aleppo pepper, ground
walnuts, dried bread, and olive oil. Other spices and flavorings may be added. It is served as a dip or spread for bread or as a sauce for fish and meat. The dish is also known in Turkey, where it may be called
acuka.
Daqoos (), sometimes
dakkous or
daqqus, is a chili tomato sauce common in
Eastern Arabian cuisine served alongside rice dishes like
mandi and
kabsa. It is typically made of roasted tomatoes,
garlic, and
chili pepper. Common additions include various herbs and spices; ingredients may vary by region. It is also used in western Saudi (
Hejaz), where it is called
duggus.
Maghreb Harissa is a popular hot sauce used in Tunisia and elsewhere in the Maghreb (especially
Algeria,
Libya and
Morocco). It is usually made from ground red birdseye chili peppers with olive oil, garlic, cumin and coriander although caraway is sometimes used instead of cumin and recipes vary. The sauce is of a dark red grainy texture. It is sometimes spread on bread rolls but also used as a condiment with a variety of meals. Tunisian Harissa is much hotter than that found in neighboring countries. Cap Bon is a popular brand of Harissa. Harissa is often sold in tin cans. Harissa is also popular in
Israel, on account of immigration of Maghrebi Jews.
Turkey Biber salçası is a Turkish red pepper paste.
Yemen Sahawiq is produced by grinding fresh peppers with garlic, coriander, and sometimes other ingredients. It is popular both in Yemen and in Israel, where it was brought by
Yemenite Jews, and where it is called סחוג ''s'khug''.
Africa Ethiopia Awaze is an Ethiopian chili paste.
Ghana Shito is a Ghanaian chili sauce.
Malawi Nali Sauce is a style of piri piri chili sauce.
Somalia Shigni is a Somali chili sauce or
chutney, made from
chili peppers,
onion,
garlic,
tomato,
lemon juice,
cilantro and so on.
South Africa Peri Peri sauce is a style of
piri piri chili sauce used by
Nando's Chicken fast food restaurants.
Tunisia Harissa is a chili paste based on roasted red peppers and olive oil, seasoned with garlic, coriander seed and other herbs.
Europe Adjika Mingrelian and Adjika Abkhazian (Georgia)
Hungary Erős Pista (lit. "Strong Steve") and
Piros Arany (lit. "Red Gold") hot pepper paste, both made from minced hot
paprika (Capsicum annuum L.); paprika is commonly grown in Hungary and both hot and mild paprika are in common usage there.
Portugal Piri piri is the popular chili sauce; the term "
piri piri" came to English through the Portuguese language through contact with
Portuguese Mozambique.
Oceania New Zealand Many influences reflecting the increasingly diverse ethnicity of its population. Common styles available in supermarkets are: • Sweet chili sauce – a
Thai style sweet dipping sauce (debatable as to whether this can be called a hot sauce). • Hot sauces based on North and Latin American types (Tabasco, Huffman, Kaitaia Fire are most commonly available but Mexican and Peruvian branded sauces may also be found). • Malaysian chili sauces with Indian influence. •
Peri Peri sauce is a
Portuguese style
piri piri sauce that is also common in South Africa. • Chinese style sauces such as black bean and chili.
Pacific Islands The
Pacific Islands are influenced by Asian and European cuisines. Hot chili sauce is a thick
Chinese style sauce. Sweet chili sauce is a
Thai style sweet dipping sauce. Peri Peri sauce is a
Portuguese style
piri piri sauce.
Americas Andes Ají is a spicy sauce that often contains tomatoes, cilantro (coriander), ají pepper, onions, and water. It is prepared in Andean countries such as
Bolivia,
Colombia, and
Peru.
Peru and
Bolivian medium hot, frutal rocoto sauces are popular.
Caribbean Hot sauces are used extensively in the Caribbean.
Mexico Mexican chili sauces are known as
salsa (literally "sauce").
United States "smothered" with
green chile sauce
Pepper jelly is made in the United States. Green chile sauce and red chile sauce are popular ingredients in
New Mexican cuisine. ==See also==