Chili Crisp Is The Unexpected Pantry Ingredient That'll Spice Up Fruit Jam

You spot various jams in your pantry, and while they're fruity and delightful, they often feel one-note in flavor: sweet. Suddenly craving a spicy kick, a thought comes to mind. Why not infuse fruit jams with chili crisp? You've just stepped into the world of savory-spicy-and sweet delights, where fruit jams get a fiery and umami uplift. While this world feels revolutionary, it's not new. Though this movement towards balancing sweets with savory and a bit of spicy has been gaining momentum, making sweets not-too-sweet has been prevalent in Asian baking for a while now. 

Chili crisp is leading the charge as the unexpected pantry ingredient that'll spice up fruit jam and other sweets. With its savory, crunchy chili flakes, this spicy condiment has won loyal hearts with iconic varieties like Lao Gan Ma and personalized blends like MìLà, Fly By Jing, and Omsom. But you can easily craft chili crisp at home. The boldness of chili crisp pairs exceptionally with the sweetness of jams, creating a delectable concoction that can sweet and spice up dishes like salads and meats and even desserts like donuts, cakes, toast, and ice cream.

Incorporate chili crisp into your favorite fruit jams to begin this flavorful, spicy, sweet journey. Try adding a teaspoon of chili crisp for every half-cup of fruit jam. Give it a taste before adding more, if desired. Blend until the fiery crunch of the chili crisp melds with the jam. The result is an unforgettable, delectable, and multidimensional condiment. 

You can use this concoction to elevate your dishes at home, especially your desserts. Infuse the spicy jam into your cake, cookie, brownie, or pancake batter. Or mix it in your buttercream and other frostings. Drizzle it over donuts for an unexpected fiery kick, especially if the chili crisp is in redder jams like strawberry and raspberry, where it will be a hidden surprise. Spread it generously on toast or swirl it into your plain vanilla ice cream. Of course, you can also use the spicy jam as a dip for fruits and veggies. Any way you use this spicy condiment will result in a dance of flavors that contrast yet complement each other in your mouth.

It's no wonder chili crisp is so popular. Its transformative potential is reshaping culinary boundaries, bringing adventure to traditional sweets. While this exploration began with Asian baking, it is a global invitation to redefine sweetness, introducing a savory and spicy equilibrium.