Mama Teav's Hot Garlic

Garlicky AF, and we mean that as the highest compliment.

Mama Teav’s Hot Garlic comes out of Oakland, California, built on sun-dried Cambodian chilies and organic California garlic, a genuinely distinct combination we hadn’t had in a chili crisp before. The packaging carries a nice little logo touch on top that we appreciated the first time we cracked the jar.

The taste test

This is one of the crunchiest jars we own, with a good ratio between crisp and oil; as we stirred it, the crunch was audible. Big, visible chunks of garlic throughout, and the oil itself has a deep, smoky flavor that never tips into burnt, which is a harder balance to land than it sounds.

The one honest warning, and it’s right there on the label: this is called Hot Garlic for a reason. If you’re not a garlic person, this isn’t the jar for you; it comes through prominently in every bite. If you are, this might be the most garlic-forward crisp on our whole shelf.

Verdict

A+ tier. Crunchy, deeply smoky, unapologetically garlicky, and built on an ingredient combination (Cambodian chilies + California garlic) we haven’t seen paired anywhere else. One of our favorite everyday garlic jars.