Sweet + Spicy Sichuan Chili Sauce

I'm glad breastmilk can't be spicy because I am 90% Zhong Sauce at this point. One of the things I grieve the most as a new parent is having time to cook gourmet-ish meals at home. Our household is simply in survival mode right now, and we are eating more for nourishment and energy than pleasure. This is understandable and expected, but as a gourmand, it also makes me very sad. I bought this sauce on a whim because we love Sichuan flavors and thought a new condiment would lift our spirits. At that moment, I did not know that I would became deeply obsessed.

This sauce is perfect. Absolutely perfect. No notes. It's not too spicy or too sweet, full of flavor, and makes everything taste more interesting. As many other reviewers note, it's good on LITERALLY EVERYTHING (and I got some really great ideas reading the reviews, thanks to all my fellow Zhong sauce lovers). It's good on things you'd expect like proteins, veggies, takeout, eggs, dumplings/bao buns, etc., and good on things you wouldn't expect like boxed mac & cheese and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. It also makes a killer spicy mayo. I will be ordering the King Zhong next because the standard sized jars that I can get locally simply do not last long enough.

As you would expect, I don't have a ton of time on my hands but I wanted to write this to raise awareness for this sauce. I'm a marketer by trade and I'm guessing the name change was a marketing choice to increase the popularity of the Zhong sauce. I can't have…

I have been buying Zhong Sauce for over 4 years and am absolutely in love. I gift it to people at Christmas time and I just sent a bottle to my youngest sister and her roommate. Everyone who tries it becomes obsessed!! It's got a great amount of heat (I'd consider it a tolerable medium heat that doesn't build) and I put it on absolutely everything. Egg and toast, salmon, fish tacos, in a salad dressing, on hot honey chicken, on dumplings, gyoza, etc etc. My favorite way is to spoon some of it over sunny side up eggs with micro greens and a crusty toast. Perfection!! It's spicy but there's a lot of sweetness in there that is addicting.

Not sure why it was renamed, I was struggling to find the product and couldn't understand why. Zhong Sauce is so much cooler of a name. The new name is a mouthful and confusing now that there are four versions of chili sauce. Too bad! It'll stay "Zhong Sauce" in our house :)