Hot sauce has the incredible ability to utterly transform a dish's taste profile. Delicious hot sauces have also emerged from every corner of the world, but there is one specific spicy Asian condiment in particular that has many iterations and uses.

Chili crisps, which were mass-produced in 1997 by Lao Gan Ma, combine a variety of fried ingredients, including chilis as well as aromatics and other spices, with oil. The result is a sauce bursting with complex, spicy flavor with a nice crunchy texture and that can be drizzled on many foods or used as a fat substitute in sauces.

Chili crisps have become a global phenomenon, with some more modern versions toning down the chili content to appease spice-sensitive palates. While there are countless chili crisp recipes, you can still buy the original, Lao Gan Ma, or you can try variations like David Chang's Momofuku Chili Crunch, which features shiitake mushroom powder, at his famous restaurant franchises.