It was March 2020 when COVID-19 shook the world.   A 43 year old family restaurant in Upstate New York closed it's doors for what seemed at that time to only be temporarily.   

    Fast forward a couple months and this closure was becoming more apparent to be permanent in nature and thus Hot Crispy Oil was born.  Influences from around the world and hours under Covid lockdown led to a recipe.  What started as a recipe for friends and family created in a shuttered kitchen, began taking on a life of it's own.  
   

     In a short few months the growth was exponential on a daily basis.  We began hiring fellow people in the restaurant industry laid off from COVID-19.  We grew from local, to regional, to national and are now laying the groundwork for global distribution. 

     The only thing that hasn't changed is the time, quality and love that that we put into the product.  Small batch, hand-made from the best ingredients on the market.  This is our commitment now and forever. 

    Let us share the love of Hot Crispy Oil with you, your friends and your family!  

Help stop the vitriol and hate being displayed to the Asian American community and donate below. Hot Crispy Oil will match donations up to $500.   Just add info@hotcrispyoil.com in the “employer” match field.  

https://donate.givedirect.org/?cid=14711

A brief history of chili oils and some of our favorites  :

      The roots of chili oil run deep for hundreds of years all over the world but it’s origins and popularity come from Chinese cuisine and particularly the Sichuan Province. However, Lao Gan Ma the largest commerically produced one comes from the Guizhou Province.  Asia is home to a plethora of many amazing versions. 

   Many different regions of the world have similar products based on ingredients native to their region. We took inspirations from many different cultural cuisines.  Aspects of Asian chili oil, Turkish Hot Oil, Calabrian Chili Oil and even Salsa Macha just to name a few . We tinkered with different chili pepper varietals day in and day out until we found the uniqueness we were looking for. At HCO we are proponents for all those in the industry.  Some of our favorites are;

Fly by Jing   -Umami rich with massive flavor depth from Chengdu, China. Stringent ingredient sourcing.  Fermented black bean and mushroom powder  make this the most Umami focused one on the list

Don Emillio Salsa Macha   -Our favorite salsa macha. Superb crunch and intense heat

https://www.twolittledumplings.com/product-page/dragon-dance-chili-oil-6oz
This is the only local product  (to HCO) on the list.  We recently found out about it and it immediately went right to the top of our list.  Small batch, handmade and just a really well rounded product. Right now they only offer pick up locally but if going be sure to grab some of their amazing dumplings too !

 Aleppo - Villa Jerada   -Aleppo Pepper flakes grown on border of Syria/Turkey with cumin similar to HCO.  Very light on oil but works well just  sprinkling flakes on your favorite foods 

Momofuku Chili Crunch  -A new product from legend David Chang. Umami rich paying homage to Asian Chili Oil\Crisp while also sourcing chili peppers from Mexico and respect to salsa machas.  Very large dried to oil ratio give this great consistency 

Me's Way Chili Sauce  -Vietnamese chili sauce made with anchovies.  Incredibly well balanced flavor.  Also offer vegetarian version 

 Iasa Peperoncini     -Peperoncini Picante in Olive Oil from Salerno, Italy.  Made from fresh Crimson Peppers.  More of a paste consistency and great for sandwiches or used as a wet rub for meats and fish