The Flavor-Packed Oil I’m Drizzling on Everything Right Now (No, Not Olive)

Perhaps the single most valuable ingredient in my kitchen is a bottle of olive oil. But I’ll admit that it was only recently that I started caring about the quality of the olive oil I’m using. I really only use olive oil in my kitchen at this point, unless I’m frying or baking (those are the only times I’ll utilize veggie or canola oils). Well, that is until recently, when I was put on to Algae Cooking Club’s delicious and slightly spicy Gochugaru Chili Oil. 

As the name might suggest, this chili oil is unique for the fact that it’s actually a flavored algae oil. We can get into the nitty-gritty a little more in a minute, but before you start to question it, let me just say: It doesn’t taste like algae. So, if that was about to be a deal-breaker for you, no worries! In fact, I think you’ll be surprised by how smooth and delicious it really is. 

OK, now for the details: For the Gochugaru Chili Oil, Algae Cooking Club takes a culinary-grade algae oil (made from microalgae, which I have learned is not what seaweed is) and infuses it with a multitude of spices (nine, if we’re counting!) that give it a lovely, somewhat spicy depth. Among these spices are, of course, gochugaru chili flakes, but also cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorn, star anise, and clove, just to name a few. This results in, quite frankly, the most flavorful chili oil I’ve ever had. It isn’t briny, salty, oceany in any way. 

This oil is also decently versatile (though perhaps not as versatile as the brand’s Algae Cooking Oil, which has no added flavorings). By this, I mean it isn’t just a finishing oil (though you can certainly use it that way), but you can also cook with it, if you’d like. If you do choose to cook with it, the brand does recommend utilizing a low heat setting, just FYI. 

I really like Algae Cooking Club’s Gochugaru Chili Oil. What I appreciate the most about this oil is how flavorful it is. I find more generic chili oils can be blandly spicy, so that’s what I’ve come to expect, but there is nothing bland about this oil. That said, it also isn’t wildly hot, which is nice because I find that that allows me to really enjoy all of the warm and spicy flavors in it. It doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise to me, though, that this particular oil has elevated my dishes, given that the famed chef of Eleven Madison Park, Daniel Humm, is behind it. 

This chili oil can be used in so many different ways in the kitchen, but the very first way I used it was to cook off ground turkey with it instead of reaching for my olive oil. I use a 99% lean ground turkey at home, so it does need a little bit of fat when I’m cooking it — and this both added some much-needed fat and helped flavor it all at the same time. The resulting flavor of the cooked ground turkey was on the subtle side, which I appreciated so I could use this turkey for a number of dishes and get just a little hint of spice. I also used it as a finishing oil over top of a hot, cozy bowl of congee. I loved using it this way. I would typically add sriracha to the top, so this scratched that itch for a little something spicy while adding in some warmth that my sriracha doesn’t give.

If you (like me) had your reservations about this Gochugaru Chili Oil utilizing algae oil, there is truly nothing fishy here (literally!). This oil is warm, buttery, and spicy, and it’s as easy to use as olive oil — but with a nice little kick. I think this chili oil will make itself quite at home in my kitchen. 

Buy: Algae Cooking Club Gochugaru Chili Oil, $36 for two bottles (normally, $40)