This tiny spoon is filled with a small amount of chile condiment that packs a powerful, fragrant and spicy punch. It's by far the best I've ever tasted, and I've tried my fair share of condiments ranging from Szechuan hot bean pastes to Korean chili sauces. This chile condiment is truly one of a kind. Made by a San Francisco-based artisan using only fresh and natural ingredients, it is actually marketed as a Mexican gourmet topping.
I received a sample jar of the Chile Colonial's Chile Crunch from Foodzie to review recently and was surprised at how it has seriously improved the flavors in my meals. Usually, one prepares meals and then find condiments to accompany the dish. Not with this. After one bite, my taste buds were in heaven. There's a freshness here that I don't find in similar products imported from overseas. And then there is the roasted, crunchy garlic bits. Yummm!
I was hooked. For days, before preparing any meal, I would ponder whether it would compliment the Chile Crunch. I anxiously prepared savory snacks and dinners and felt the euphoria of knowing that I could drizzle heaping spoonfuls of the condiment into my plate soon enough. No joke - I am so addicted.
Luckily, my husband also likes the heat, although his palate is not as tolerant as I am with hot sauces. I find Chile Crunch to have a wonderful, aromatic depth from the roasted chiles and garlic combination and very, very little heat. However for BJ, a few drizzles of the hot oils is more than sufficient to get his eyes watery and nose running. Nonetheless, he loves the fresh tastes as much as I do.
All the snacks and meals I prepared are influenced by Chinese dishes, but the gourmet topping can easily be served with other cuisines as well. For now, here is a sample of the dishes where the Chile Crunch elevated the flavors in my meals...
...Served as a dipping sauce with pan fried Chinese Scallion Pancakes.
... Served on top of a veggie and tofu udon noodle stir fry...
... Mixed-in with black bean sauce to accompany chicken, veggies and rice.
...Drizzled over steamed oyster mushrooms, tofu and eggs...
... And enjoyed with more scallion pancakes and a mushroom omelette.
In summary, Chile Crunch is awesome and will be a staple in my pantry. The company also makes three other condiments: Adobo Loco, Chile Fusion and Veggie Escabeche that you can learn more about at Foodzie. Each 9oz jar is $8.95, which is similar pricing to other gourmet condiments and sauces I buy at places like Williams-Sonoma, Whole Foods or Napa Style.
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