Sze Daddy Taiwanese Chili Sauce

The first thing I think of is hot pot. Next time we have hot pot, this will be perfect.

Sze Daddy is a Taiwanese chili sauce made locally in New York — technically not a chili crisp, but we wanted to support it, and we’re glad we did. We ordered from Pearl River Mart for about $23 with a coupon code. The label says “very hot.”

The taste test

About 40% of the bottle is oil, and the solids are very finely ground and mixed — it looks almost pasty. The aroma sent us straight to a hot pot restaurant, and we eventually pinned why: star anise. Because everything is so finely ground, nothing overpowers anything else; it’s balanced in a way chunky jars can’t be.

The label’s “very hot” is generous — the heat is modest. What you get instead is a savory umami flavor that made both of us score it an 8/10 and immediately plan a hot pot night around it. Popcorn chicken was the other instant idea, which tells you the vibe: Taiwanese night-market energy.

Verdict

A tier. Not the spiciest, not the crunchiest — but one of the most flavorful, and the single best hot pot dipping upgrade on our shelf. It tied with Fly By Jing as our top two of that entire taste test.