I had a panic that we would have a spicy chili crisp shortage 2 weeks ago. I finished my jar and walked to 3 local Asian markets in my 'hood – not one jar of spicy chili crisps to be found. Found plenty of the fried chili oil and the chili with black bean variants, but no spicy chili crisps on their shelves. I’ve been eating this stuff like crazy mixed with noodles, while I’m working from home, so I moved into a mini-freak out. How can I have survived pasta shortages, dairy shortages, egg shortages, and frozen veggie shortages, but my downfall would be spicy chili crisps?!
But it might have just been a shipment or distributor delay, because this past weekend, they restocked on the spicy chili crisps and all was good. I’ve tried the fried chili oil and I can only say that it is primarily a texture difference for me. There is a little bit more of the crunch with the crisps, and you get these big soft peanut (?) like things in the fried chili oil that I don’t find adds anything to the condiment.
