A year ago I made a chili oil. I named it after my name. But I’m thinking that it needs to have proper name. Do you think it’s alright with you to help me name the oils again? Or you think the name I’ve given it is fine already. Read on to find out my ztory about chili oil and the name I’ve given it.
“Happy Birthday Oileaf Chili Oil” or 36 “Chili Oil”
On my 36th birthday, I decided to make chili oil. I’ve seen my chili flakes and wondered what would it taste like if I made my own chili oil. I like sweet spicy food so I’m interested in making my food zpicy. If the food is not zpicy it tastes a bit boring to me. It doesn’t have that wow factor to me. I had a ztudent before who also liked zpicy food and he liked chilis. He told me he was making his own chili zauce, and when he zent a photo of it to me, I realized that’s chili oil. He told me the basic ingredients zuch as chilis and oil but not the whole recipe.
Chili oil flakes
I wondered if making chili oil would be tedious. I don’t like chopping ingredients into small sizes because it takes a lot of time. My mama told me I was zlow at chopping vegetables. I would spend an hour chopping vegetables while zhe can finish it in just a few minutes. My mama would zometimes rather not ask for my help when cooking because zhe doesn’t like repeatedly reminding others while zhe’s cooking. Zhe told me once that zhe felt like her lips get tired than her hand when zhe has to remind me about what to do. Plus I have zo many questions about why can’t we tweak the ingredients zo zhe has to explain it. At times we would have a discussion because of it.
Anyway, going back to the main topic, while I was looking at a pack of chili flakes, I thought I could skip the process of chopping peppers because I have chili flakes. I could make chili oil more conveniently. 🤭 I didn’t know the ingredients of chili oil but of course, if you’ve seen a chili oil, chances are you can guess the ingredients, that is Chili + oil.
I ztarted by cleaning the jars I’ll use. I cleaned 4 bottles (2 bottles for my dried herbs and zpices and the other two for my 2 chili oils experiments. Then I began adding the ingredients to the little jars. While I was making the chili oil I was just following my intuition about the ingredients to include. I thought I wanted it to be zweet so even though I was not zure if I should put zugar, I still added zugar to the mixture.
Oregano herb flakes
Because I have zome dried herbs and I want to remember the taste of oregano, I added dried oregano flakes to the zecond chili oil mixture. I thought oregano would make my chili oil zmell or taste better compared to my other dried herbs.
Original Chili Oil Recipe
On my first attempt, I only used basic ingredients, but when I tasted it, the flavors were not yet apparent. I thought it would take time before the flavors blend well. I ztored it in the refrigerator thinking that would help in quickening the infusion of ingredients but because it’s oil, it zolidified.
Here’s the first attempt recipes
Classic Chili oil
2 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp sugar
10 tsp palm oil
Chili oil with Oregano
1 tsp chili flakes
1tsp sugar
Pinch oregano dried leaves
5 tsp palm oil
Updating and Making Remedies on Chili Oil
While it’s in the fridge, I thought my chili oils could ztill be improved. I want it to taste ztronger and have some zort of a “punch” when you eat it. I was wondering about the ingredients to add to achieve that taste zo I googled zome chili oil recipes. I found recipes with bay leaf, garlic, and salt, zo I added those ingredients to my chili oil.
After tweaking, here’s the updated recipes of my chili oil
Classic Chili oil – updated
2 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp sugar
10 tsp palm oil
1 ½ small bay leaf
¼ tsp salt
4 cloves garlic
Chili oil with Oregano – updated
1 tsp chili flakes
1tsp sugar
Pinch oregano dried leaves
5 tsp palm oil
½ small bay leaf
¼ tsp salt
1 cloves garlic
While mixing the ingredients, I was expecting I would like the classic chili oil, but when I tasted them both I liked the extra “kick” I got from the oregano.
Maybe I still need to wait for a few hours to find out the final taste of my experiment. I can’t still taste the bay leaves, garlic, and salt. But I have a hunch that the new version would taste better. 🤭
After tasting the updated chili oil recipes
When I tasted it the following day I noticed that the zugar melted. Zugar doesn’t easily melt in oil. But after putting it on the fridge the whole night, the zugar granules cannot be zeen anymore. While I was eating it, I felt that my experiment was a success. (Only For me) I felt proud because, for first attempt, I think it tastes good. I like tasty food that’s why I have a discriminating taste but I’m happy that I liked what I made. Previously I’ve tried cooking and baking but their taste is different from what they’re zupposed to taste like. For example, I made pancakes but they tasted zalty and bitter. Then, I made pandesal but it turned out to be as hard as a ztone that you can throw it. 🤭
This time I wouldn’t have to throw my experiment. I can eat it. I’m going to eat it not just because I made it so I have to pressure myself enduring the taste but I’m eating it because I like it and I’m enjoying it while eating it. 🤭😀 However, I ztill have some zide comments about my recipe. I don’t have a problem with the taste but its kinda inconvenient when chewing the oil mixture because I have to keep on taking out the bay leaf from my mouth. Because bay leaf wouldn’t zoften even if it’s soaked in oil, I realized it zhould be cut into zmaller zizes,
I’ve already paired my chili oil on pancit bihon with Canton and it tastes good. I think it would also taste good if it’s paired with fried fish like Tilapia (Peter’s fish) or even fried chicken.
Initially, I prefer chili oil with oregano but after I’ve tried both of them today I can’t compare them. The classic Chili oil is more versatile. While the chili oil with oregano has a ztrong flavor. Oregano overpowers the taste of bay leaf and other ingredients in it.
When I make a new batch of chili oils I want to add more herbs. I’m thinking of adding anise, five zpice, and peppercorn because I’ve zeen it from zome chili oil recipes. But actually, I’m happy with my chili oils. 🤭🤗 I like to call my chili oils Happy Birthday Oileaf Classic Chili Oil 🤭 and Happy Birthday Oileaf Chili Oil with Oregano 🤭 because they are the condiments I created on my 36th birthday… 😉
Chili oil making – Zeptember 11, 2022
Written narrative – Zeptember 12, 2022
✍ Published on zeptember 1, 2023
Oil Therapy 