Mala Market Fragrant Hot Chili Flakes

These medium-ground flakes are a combination of three Chinese chili varieties: er jing tiao chilies for fragrance, facing heaven chilies for color, and xiao mi la chilies for heat. The peppers are toasted and fried, thus possessing an extra-rich flavor and uniquely crisp texture that makes them utterly addictive. Use them for an extra authentic touch in our Sichuan Chili Oil  or for infusing in a Chinese hot pot. We like Mala Market’s blend so much we use it as an all-purpose chili flake, as good in stir-fries or Spicy Sichuan Tofu and Pork (Mapo Dofu) as it is for garnishing a dish tableside.

The Mala Market—named after the term for the spicy-numbing combination of chilies and Sichuan peppercorns that defines Sichuan cooking—imports top-grade dried chilies and spices of remarkable quality. Their chilies are intensely fragrant and pliant (the sure sign of a fresh dried chili), and the spices are clear and boldly flavored. Unlike other importers, the Mala Market maintains close control over its supply chain; these chilies go straight from the agrarian Guizhou province to the company’s packers in Chengdu.