Thursday, January 09, 2025

Momofuku chili oil > Lee Kum Kee chili oil

Just to compare, I ordered both Lee Kum Kee chili oil (infused oil + peppers) and Momofuku chili oil. If I'm not mistaken, Momofuku, despite its Japanese name, was founded and is run by a Korean or Korean-American dude (David Chang—see here). I'm familiar with the Lee Kum Kee version of chili oil, but Momofuku's was new to me. Guess what: it's better. (It's also somewhat expensive.)

Don't get me wrong: Lee Kum Kee is a solid Chinese brand, and after tasting Momofuku, I'll still be ordering Lee Kum Kee since it's both good and cheap(er). But what makes me like Momofuku better is that, if you've spent time in Korea, you can immediately tell that the chilis in the Momofuku oil are recognizably Korean. I'm not saying Korean is always better than Chinese or that one brand is inherently, objectively better than the other (how could I say that after comparing only a single product?). What I am saying is that Momofuku's chili oil immediately felt more comfortably familiar, more Korean. If you like flavors that bend Koreaward, you'll like the Momofuku chili oil. I got mine via iHerb, where it's actually called "chili crunch." Chef Andy—from New Zealand and living in Australia—calls it "chilli crisp" (note the double "L" in the British-style spelling).

Now go buy some and make a kick-ass peanut sauce.


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