Drizzled over fried eggs. Spooned on to instant noodles. Trickled around the rim of a spicy margarita. Crispy chilli oil – and Lao Gan Ma specifically – is quickly becoming the only way to upgrade any meal, and is about to be your new obsession (if it’s not already).
The sauce was created by Tao Huabi in 1980s Southwestern China, and it translates in English to ‘Old Godmother’. The name is apt, considering a portrait of the short-haired woman behind the brand stares out at you from the glass jar, silently judging, as you dollop yet another spoonful of her recipe on to your plate.
For the uninitiated, Lao Gan Ma is a chilli oil so rich it’s almost black, crunchy with soybeans and tingly on your tongue. It’s both comforting and punchy, a knockout flavour that’s fiery yet sweet, all underpinned by the indulgence of the oil, which soothes your taste buds against the cut of heat. It’s truly a sensation, stupendously addictive and can be added to basically anything. A versatile queen.
According to DELLI, an online food and drink marketplace, chilli oil sales have risen nearly 400% year-on-year, while 1.3m jars of Lao Gan Ma are produced daily. Meanwhile, Mintel, a global research firm, predicts umami flavours will be a prominent trend throughout 2026, with ‘swicy’ – yes, that’s sweet and spicy – tastes becoming a new cupboard staple. Think: hot honey, or cocktails made with chilli.
But Lao Gan Ma is already on its understated, yet steady ascent into mainstream consciousness. It’s wiggled its way into Nigel Slater recipes, and popped up in TikTok videos that have over 10m views. An Instagram Story I posted asking for opinions instigated a flurry of messages from food writers, influencers and, well, my friends, all desperate to share their pure adoration for the stuff. One reply came: ‘I ate some off the spoon last night,’ while another stated: ‘I would bathe in it if I could,’ A third hoarder declared: ‘We have three jars of it on the go.’ Four separate people referred to it as ‘chilli crack’.
So, why is it so good? Julie Lin, author of Sama Sama and Masterchef quarter-finalist, has a whole page dedicated to Lao Gan Ma in her cookbook, and says it's down to the balance of ingredients. ‘It has a punch from chilli but also sweetness and saltiness, and MSG for umami. It’s not the same as hot sauces, which are [full of chilli] to bring pain; it adds flavour and depth. It’s also an inspirational brand story - the logo is the real woman who started out at a noodle stall.’ And with that, I welcome you to the crispy chilli oil cult. Just save some for the rest of us.
The best crispy chilli oils
Mama Yu Mama Yu's Original Chilli Oil
Dudu Master Chilli Oil
Dusty Baxter-Wright is an award-winning journalist and the Entertainment and Lifestyle Director at Cosmopolitan, having previously worked at Sugarscape. She was named one of PPA’s 30 Under 30 for her work covering pop culture, careers, interiors and travel, and oversees the site’s Entertainment and Lifestyle strategy across print, digital and video. As a journalist for the best part of a decade, she has interviewed everyone from Louis Theroux and Channing Tatum to Margot Robbie and Ncuti Gatwa, while she has also spoken on Times Radio and BBC Radio. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram here.
