WTF is 'Red Oil' Chili Bean Paste?

[00:00] So this product, red oil chili bean paste, it's 

[00:07] synonymous with ‘the color red’. Like this is 

[00:13] Mapo Tofu that's made without. The stuff, it's 

[00:18] really deep fermented bean flavor to it, but it 

[00:26] But something that I've seen when people are 

[00:30] whatever is honestly… a lot of confusion. Because 

[00:38] and it's really a bit more for dipping sauces. You 

[00:45] not really the same thing as our red oil chili 

[00:51] in Sichuan itself, there are two major different 

[00:58] this and there's also this, which is in turn made 

[01:10] number one, which is a chili bean paste that's 

[01:15] what this product is here, which is honestly for 

[01:22] bean paste. If you see a recipe online calling 

[01:29] in Chinese, 99 times out of 100, they're going to 

[01:34] is by fermenting broad beans together with chili 

[01:40] that and aging it together with oil inside of a 

[01:46] recipe for the stuff if you're in the market for 

[01:51] buy this bottle. It's easy. It's ready to go. But 

[02:00] which is a chili bean paste that's been fried with 

[02:06] is a homemade red oil chili bean paste that is 

[02:14] oil-less Pixian Doubanjiang. This specific 

[02:19] but in Sichuan itself at the markets, you can also 

[02:25] you'll do is you will get your oil-free Pixian 

[02:31] then you'll fry it on low together with a bunch 

[02:36] and save it for dishes. So if you've gone online 

[02:43] know that it actually is a pretty nice product, 

[02:49] just quite yet. Again, you're going to need to fry 

[02:56] can fry this stuff. You can also flavor your oil, 

[03:01] But first, let's just show you how to get this 

[03:06] 100 g of our packaged Pixian Doubanjiang, we're 

[03:12] oil that we're using today is this – Caiziyou - 

[03:19] traditional in Sichuan cooking. Now, Caiziyou, 

[03:26] going to need to cook it. Now, to do so, you 

[03:32] you begin to get that up to smoke point. So, for 

[03:37] about 230C. Then, we'll swap the flame to low 

[03:43] to 40 seconds. Then, shut off the heat and let the 

[03:50] whenever you're working with any kind of raw oil 

[03:56] in Guangdong or Guangxi, a more kind of artisanal 

[04:01] which is our common Caiziyou sub, cooking it first 

[04:07] remove its pungency. With most mass-produced oils, 

[04:13] do that step. So, you're probably not going to 

[04:19] result is, you could try it on the raw natural oil 

[04:25] olive. Try the before and after. But anyway, 

[04:31] in our Pixian Doubanjiang. And over a low flame, 

[04:37] oil to start to stain red, which is going to 

[04:43] You're going to be done once the oil's been 

[04:47] doubanjiang have started to curl slightly and ever 

[04:54] can just toss that in a bowl and jar it up once 

[05:00] should probably talk about color because like this 

[05:07] the color of the package bottle. Now, this one, it 

[05:14] me that it is never going to get as red as the one 

[05:19] oil. So, functionally, I think for us as cooks, 

[05:27] then type one, it's going to end up with a bit of 

[05:32] a restaurant or on YouTube, if you're just cooking 

[05:39] super super red. But if you find yourself using 

[05:46] bit, three options for you. First, if you're using 

[05:53] red fragrant chili powder to your recipe. So 

[05:57] like a tablespoon of Pixian Doubanjiang, you could 

[06:04] or Gochugaru to your recipe, mixing that in. It's 

[06:12] end up kind of splitting the difference. Then 

[06:17] this both on hand, you could try going half/half. 

[06:23] homemade one for depth, half tablespoon of the 

[06:29] option three, you can also fry up your own flavor 

[06:37] that really is the benefit of these kinds of packs 

[06:43] and make it your own. Now, the most common way 

[06:49] of Pixian Doubanjiang. So, today we're going 

[06:55] the red one. Three parts of a one-year Pixian 

[07:02] part of a three-year Pixian Doubanjiang, which is 

[07:09] fermented flavor to it. Now, again, this is just 

[07:16] Sichuan. But again, you can just make it your own 

[07:22] want - add in a bit of spices and aromatics. So 

[07:28] and about 3 inches of smashed ginger together with 

[07:34] bowl and wetted with a bit of baijiu liquor… and 

[07:40] cup worth of our rapeseed oil just like before. 

[07:45] the onion and the ginger and let those fry over 

[07:51] toss in our liquor-wetted spices and continue to 

[07:58] about 5 minutes more, strain that all and then 

[08:03] Pixian Doubanjiangs. We've got 90g of our red oil, 

[08:11] Then slowly fry those again, medium low flame for 

[08:18] out. And with that, you've got yourself a nice 

[08:27] big question whenever you're making any kind of 

[08:34] is this actually worth it? Like, is it the bread 

[08:40] kind of home fried Pixian Doubanjiang, I would 

[08:48] Sichuan food on the regular, I think the easiest 

[08:54] can make a good quality homemade chili oil. And 

[09:01] the second most important thing, if you can swing 

[09:06] obviously a lot more common in restaurant kitchens 

[09:13] you can even whip up a simple pork bone stock, 

[09:18] needle on your Kung Pao. And then I would put this 

[09:25] already have a homemade chili oil and you already 

[09:31] of stuff in the homestyle flavor profile, which 

[09:37] Pixian Doubanjiang and not all that much else. I 

[09:45] I don't think that obligatory. You can also just 

[09:53] going to be down in the description box. Free 

[09:58] everybody that's supporting us on Patreon. And of