# What is Chinese Chile Sauce?



## Puki (Jun 14, 2021)

There are several recipes by Jacques Pepin that call for “Chinese Chile sauce” but I cannot figure out what that is. I don’t think it is five spice, but that is where the fruits of my investigations end. 

Any clue?

I want to make one of those pork chop recipes.


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## Andy M. (Jun 14, 2021)

https://laist.com/news/food/lao-gan-ma-china-hot-sauce-walmart-sriracha


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## Puki (Jun 14, 2021)

Thanks! I will look for it!!


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## Andy M. (Jun 14, 2021)

Aside from that one. There are many chili sauces that will serve even if they are not this one. A Chinese recipe may call for Sambal Olek, a very popular chili garlic sauce often used across Asian recipes.


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## jennyema (Jun 14, 2021)

i looked it up in one of his cookbooks.  He means *jarred chili garlic sauce*

You can find it in pretty much any supermarket.  Lee Kum Kee is a popular brand.


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## taxlady (Jun 14, 2021)

I was going to ask how old the recipes calling for Chinese chilli sauce were, because Lao Gan Ma has only been available in the US since about the year 2000.


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## lastmanstanding (Jun 15, 2021)

The most popular one in my country is made with chille flakes, shrimp, scraped coconut, sugar, curry leaves, and onions. All except chille flakes(and sugar, lol) are deep fried, and then all ingredients cooked together in oil. It's kind of an oily mix. I am not a fan but all Chinese restaurants give you that with their fried rice. But there can be hundreds of recipes I guess.


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## CharlieD (Jun 15, 2021)

Even regular grocery stores carry more than one kind of chilly sauce, more than one brand. And if you go to Asian store there are quite few.


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## Bitser (Jun 23, 2021)

Szechuan cooking has quite a few hot and savoury dishes.  The sauce is dark rather than bright red and can be very hot, so take care.  






https://omnivorescookbook.com/sichuan-cuisine/


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## dragnlaw (Jun 23, 2021)

*Puki*, if you have not purchased any yet, I know I'm 10 days late, but I would suggest you try *Harrisa* or *Sambal Olek* first.  

Compared to some of the others I find that these two are not quite so hot.


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## pepperhead212 (Jun 23, 2021)

I have tried countless brands of Chinese "chili paste with garlic", the original name on the few of them, only available in Chinese groceries, at least in this area.  My favorite was from Taiwan; probably all were, at that time, but when trade opened with China, there were many more available, but not quite as good, IMO.  This, and similar Chinese chili pastes are lacto-fermented, and some just didn't have as much flavor.  My favorite, in recent years, is actually one made in Thailand, though it is the Szechwan style - _Pickled Ground Chili With Garlic_.  The "pickled" refers to the lacto-fermentation.  No other English on the lable, except "J&J Impoorts", so I have no idea what the brand is! 


Label on    Pickled Ground Chili With Garlic by pepperhead212, on Flickr

In supermarkets the Lee Kum Kee, pictured above, is a very good flavored brand, and mild, if that's what you are looking for.  Another brand usually in SMs is Huy Fung (the "Viet·Nam on the label is part of their name - this is a Szechwan style sauce)- not as much of that fermented flavor, but this brand is definitely hotter!  Be forewarned, if that would be a problem.   Of these two, I would actually get Lee Kum Kee, and add my own heat.

BTW, I've tried making this myself, but it doesn't taste as good.  They must pickle it longer, or something!


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