Fly by Jing chili crisp is already an institution—but the brand has so much more to try with your next plate of noodles. I’m talking about Zhong Sauce! Straight-up chili oil! Even a vinaigrette that would double as a killer dumpling sauce. For this taste test, we tried every Fly by Jing product we could get our hands on and ranked them from “must buy” to “buy when you have the budget.”
If you’re not familiar, Fly by Jing is a cool, woman-owned brand that launched in 2018 with a Sichuan-style chili crunch that quickly went viral (it’s one of the best chili crisps we’ve tried, too). Since then, the Fly by Jing line has expanded to include everything from a super-spicy chili crisp to a chili crisp-infused smoked salmon in collaboration with fellow woman-owned direct-to-consumer brand Fishwife. We know people are loyal to their favorite brand of chili crisp—Lao Gan Ma army, we see you—but we promise that these products are totally worth the hype. They’re all good. So here it is, the Fly by Jing lineup of condiments, ranked from good to better to best.
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- Fly by Jing XTRA Spicy Chili Crisp
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If you are a real heat freak, you’ll probably like this. It tastes a lot like the original Fly by Jing Chili Crisp. That said, the additional heat definitely changes the flavor profile. You don’t just get more sizzle, you get additional peppery flavor. I know the human tongue can’t technically taste capsaicin, but this Fly by Jing chili crisp tastes spicier. Still, it won’t obliterate your taste buds. I’m partial to the flavor of the original chili crisp in terms of flavor, but if you really, really want your food to challenge your constitution, opt for this instead.
Credit: Merc / Fly by Jing
- Fly by Jing Sichuan Gold
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We are blessed with a lot of excellent dumpling restaurants here in the greater Los Angeles area, and when you visit, you’ll often find little bottles of hot oil and black vinegar on the table to zhush them up a bit. This chili oil is about the best I’ve tasted. It’s hot, yeah, but there’s other stuff going on in this bottle. Fly by Jing Sichuan Gold tastes so bright it’s almost citrusy. That said, if you’re pairing it with super flavorful Chinese dishes like peanut butter noodles or pork xiaolongbao, I don’t know if it’ll make a huge impression. This stuff is good, but the other Fly by Jing sauces on this list just have more going on.
Credit: Liv Averett / Fly by Jing
- Fly by Jing x Fishwife Smoked Salmon
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This collab between Fly by Jing and trendy tinned fish brand Fishwife is great. The salmon silky yet firm, and its deep, smoky flavor is incredible with the chili oil. But this is a ranking of Fly by Jing products, and the chili crisp definitely isn’t the star of this show.
Credit: Merc / Fly by Jing
- Fly by Jing Chengdu Crunch
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If you want chili crunch that’s really, really crunchy, look no further than Fly by Jin Chengdu Crunch. This stuff will rattle the walls as you chew. It’s packed with stuff—lots and lots of stuff, all of it highly crunchy, including dried fava beans, soy beans, sesame seeds, and more. I’ve never had anything quite like it, which might be why it was hard for me to imagine use-cases for the stuff even though it tastes really, really good. The jar suggests using it as a salad condiment, which seems like a good idea. You’ll never settle for croutons again after you try this roasty-toasty, highly unexpected Fly by Jing condiment.
Credit: Merc / Fly by Jing
- Fly by Jing Zhong Sauce
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In terms of flavor, this sauce covers a lot of bases. It’s sweet because it contains brown sugar. It’s salty because it contains soy sauce. It’s umami because it contains mushroom powder. And it’s hot thanks to chili peppers. If you aren’t attached to a chili crisp that actually contains crunch, give this a shot.
Credit: Merc / Fly by Jing
- Fly by JingChili Crisp Vin
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I can’t say enough good things about this Fly by Jing Vin. This is another condiment that tickles every single taste bud. The brand describes it as the “perfect balance of salt-acid-fat-heat,” and they aren’t lying. It’s made with black vinegar that’s been aged for 10-plus years, and you can taste that depth of flavor in every bite. It still tastes like chili crisp, but the vinegar makes it more balanced than anything else on this list. I’d use this as a marinade for grilled chicken and then put that grilled chicken on top of a salad with even more of this vinaigrette—that’s how much I like it.
Credit: Merc / Fly by Jing
- Fly by Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp
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This stuff made Fly by Jing famous for a reason. It didn’t take the top spot on our chili crisp ranking, but it came damn close. The texture is incredible—chewy and crunchy in equal measure—and it has the perfect amount of salt once you give the jar a good shake. It’s chili forward, but you can taste hints of other flavors like ginger, seaweed, and shallots. There’s so much going on, but it all works perfectly. This is an incredible all-purpose condiment and we can see why it made Fly by Jing really take off (get it?).
Credit: Merc / Fly by Jing
Fly by Jing!
Fly by Jing!
Fly by Jing!
Fly by Jing!
Fly by Jing!
Fly by Jing!
Fly by Jing!
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!