Chilli oil that's mostly crunch: fried chilli, garlic, shallot, fermented soybeans and often peanuts and Sichuan pepper in oil, savoury from MSG. Spooned over eggs, rice, noodles and dumplings.
Chinese grocers. Lao Gan Ma, from Guizhou, is the original jar; newer brands vary in heat and numbing.
A little history
Made famous by Lao Gan Ma, a Guizhou noodle-shop sauce turned factory product in the 1990s.
Worth knowing
Dig the crisp bits up from the bottom; the oil on top is only half of it. To make it, fry each crunchy thing separately until just golden, then pour the hot oil over chilli flakes.