chili oil review
CMK: Chili Monkey King Lemongrass Chili Oil (Heaven's Scorch)
A tier: Strong picks we keep coming back to
"Spice-challenge hot. A little goes a long way; this bottle will outlive us all."
At a glance
- Category
- chili oil
- Style
- Vietnamese
- Brand based in
- Nashville, TN
- Oil base
- soybean oil
- Seed-oil free
- No
- Price
- $$
- Small batch
- Yes
This bottle will go a very long way for us. We’ll enjoy it, and be tortured by it at the same time.
CMK stands for Chili Monkey King, named after the Monkey King and built with the kind of heat profile that makes sense once you read the ingredients: bird’s eye chili and Carolina Reaper.
The taste test
This is one of the hottest chili oils we have tried. There is real depth, crisp, and smokiness underneath; the lemongrass flavor keeps it from being a one-note burn. But the heat ramps quickly. Use a tiny spoonful unless your spice tolerance is heroic.
What to eat it on
Pho, rice plates, eggs, grilled meats, and anything where you want aromatic Vietnamese-style heat. It is too intense to dump casually over everything, but as a finishing oil it has serious presence.
Verdict
A tier for the adventurous. CMK is not the bottle we reach for when we want comfort. It is the bottle we reach for when the food needs a controlled explosion.
Best on
- pho
- noodle soups
- spice challenges
Skip it if
- you cannot handle serious heat; Carolina Reaper is in the ingredients list
Keep tasting
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