chili oil review
Yumyumia Hot Chili & Extra Hot Chili
A tier: Strong picks we keep coming back to
"Premium, all-natural, star anise and cinnamon singing over smooth canola. Very versatile."
At a glance
- Category
- chili oil
- Style
- Chinese-style
- Brand based in
- Canada
- Oil base
- canola oil
- Seed-oil free
- No
- Price
- $$
- Small batch
- Yes
- Dietary
- no msg, contains fish
Disclosure: this jar was sent to us by the brand. Free jars don't buy tiers; our tier list has a B row and we're not afraid to use it.
What really stands out is the star anise and cinnamon.
The Yumyumia team sent us both of their chili oils from Canada: Hot Chili and Extra Hot Chili. These are premium, all-natural jars: good canola oil, interesting ingredients, no MSG, everything natural. One important note: both jars contain katsuobushi (bonito flakes), so this is not vegan or vegetarian, despite the clean-label branding.
Hot Chili
Very crispy, with a smooth oil (that’s the canola). The heat comes on immediately, then dissipates quickly: great if you want flavor-forward spice that doesn’t build into a wall. The stars of the show are star anise and cinnamon: warm, aromatic, definitively Chinese-style, and unlike anything else on our shelf at the time. Very versatile.
Extra Hot Chili
The more you chew, the spicier it gets, with a darker-roast chili flavor. If you need a challenge or have a serious tolerance, this is your jar, but honestly, we prefer the regular Hot, because you can taste more of the unique elements when your mouth isn’t busy.
Verdict
A tier. Aromatic, crispy, clean-label. If “no MSG” and “all natural” are on your checklist, this is one of the best options we’ve found, and the star anise/cinnamon combo gives it a personality most canola-based jars lack.
Best on
- noodles
- rice
- stir-fry
Skip it if
- you want heat that lingers: the burn fades fast (a feature for some)
- you are vegan or avoid fish: both jars contain katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
Keep tasting
If you like this, try...
A+ Chili Oil Baron
Original Chili Oil
Warm, aromatic, almost mulled: a chili oil with real personality.
A Sze Daddy
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Finely ground, star anise-scented, made for hot pot night. One of our first loves.
A Chilee
Chilee Oil
Grandpa Lee immigrated from South Korea to Chicago to make a better, more spicy chili oil, and the "use it on everything" billing checks out. Dark, sesame-heavy, and roughly 50/50 oil to crisp.