Lao Gan Ma vs Fly by Jing vs Momofuku: Which One to Buy

Three jars. One condiment category. Wildly different things going on inside each one. The chili crisp boom of the last decade landed all three on the same grocery shelf, sometimes literally side by side, and that proximity has created real confusion about what makes them different.

They are not interchangeable. Reaching for Momofuku because you're out of Lao Gan Ma is like grabbing miso paste because you're out of soy sauce. Related territory, different result.

What a Chili Crisp Actually Is

A chili crisp is an oil-based condiment with crispy bits suspended in it (fried aromatics, chili flakes, sometimes beans or seeds) that you spoon rather than pour. It is not hot sauce. Heat is secondary to texture and depth.

That is the only thing all three share. The specific aromatics, the pepper variety, whether there are Sichuan peppercorns, whether fermented ingredients show up. All of that varies considerably.

Lao Gan Ma: Fermented, Funky, and Hard to Replace

Lao Gan Ma (“old godmother” in Mandarin) was founded by Tao Huabi in Guizhou province in 1997. Guizhou, not Sichuan. That distinction matters because Guizhou cooking leans heavily on fermented ingredients in ways that Sichuan cuisine does not. The Spicy Chili Crisp's backbone is fermented black beans and fried soybeans, and that is where its depth comes from. There is a slightly funky, savory finish that neither of the other two has.

The heat is moderate. The texture is the point: soft chili flakes mixed with crunchy soybean pieces that give each spoonful a different ratio depending on how you dig in. At around $3–4 a jar, it is the cheapest of the three by a wide margin.

One practical detail most people skip: the oil clouds up or semi-solidifies in the refrigerator. Leave the jar out for ten minutes and it pours normally.

I've been buying Lao Gan Ma continuously since around 2015. It's the one that always needs replacing.

Fly by Jing: The Actual Sichuan Version

Fly by Jing was founded by Jing Gao in 2018, initially through a Kickstarter, with the goal of bringing Chengdu street food flavor to a US audience. It is genuinely Sichuan-style, and the difference shows up immediately on your lips.

The Sichuan Chili Crisp contains Sichuan peppercorns, which create a numbing, tingling sensation alongside the heat. Sichuan cooking calls this mala. If you haven’t encountered it before, the first experience feels slightly strange. Your mouth goes electric in a way that chili heat alone does not produce. It is not unpleasant. It is just a different category.

The ingredient list also uses Facing Heaven chilies, a Sichuan variety with a fruity character behind the heat. The oil is lighter in color and more aromatic than Lao Gan Ma’s.

It costs $15–18 a jar. Whether that price is worth it depends on what you’re making. On plain white rice, I’d reach for Fly by Jing over the other two without hesitation.

Momofuku: A Different Goal Entirely

Momofuku Chili Crunch, launched in 2020 under David Chang’s brand, is not trying to be a Sichuan product. No Sichuan peppercorns. The crispy elements are garlic and shallots, fried separately, with dried chili and a deeply umami oil base.

The result sits closer to Southeast Asian fried shallot condiments than to anything in the Sichuan tradition. The garlic pieces are chunky and stay firmly crunchy even submerged in oil. The flavor is umami-first, heat-second.

Where it separates from the competition: eggs. A fried egg, a soft scramble, avocado toast, a grain bowl. The large garlic and shallot pieces distribute better on flat surfaces than the finer bits in Lao Gan Ma or Fly by Jing. It was almost certainly developed with this use case in mind, and it shows.

Which One to Actually Buy

Lao Gan Ma wins on value and fermented depth. Keep it in your pantry permanently. On noodles, dumplings, congee, or anything that needs a savory-funky bass note, it is the right call.

Fly by Jing is the most complex of the three and the closest to what chili crisp tastes like at a proper Sichuan restaurant. The mala tingle is real and worth seeking out. At the price point, it is a treat rather than an everyday purchase for most people.

If Lao Gan Ma and Fly by Jing come from a Chinese pantry tradition, Momofuku is a chef’s product built for the American home cook’s specific habits. On a bowl of rice, it disappoints. On a soft-boiled egg, it is the right choice.