I Finally Tried Fly By Jing’s Super Popular Sauces And I’m Bringing Them With Me Everywhere I Go
If you hang around The Kitchn much, I’m sure you’ve heard all about Fly By Jing. And, working here, I’m right there with you! If it’s not a colleague chatting me up about the Frozen Dumplings they’d happily eat every night, it’s another coworker sharing with me how the innovative brand totally revolutionized their WFH lunches. And long story short, I was feeling a little left out. I didn’t have a delicious, unique Fly By Jing product to flaunt as my thing at work. So I resolved to get my head in the game with their best-selling trio: The Triple Threat.
The super cool, woman-owned, colorful (and flavorful) brand bundled their three customer-favorite jars into the Triple Threat trio, so you can get a taste of what FBJ is all about in one easy swoop. These culinary trailblazers are completely reinventing the definition of condiments, and this trio is a perfect example of how they nail it every time. Inspired by hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Chengdu, the founder fuses traditional Sichuan flavors and techniques with new-wave flair. That means the bundle (along with all their other products) is crafted only with the very best ingredients and is unique to their founder’s personal culinary composition. To sum it up, they taste like nothing else in the world.
I’ll start with the now famous Sichuan Chili Crisp. It is, as one might expect, a vibrantly orange oil flecked with crispy bits of chili, each bite packed with intense savory flavor that’ll knock your socks off. The two main ingredients in this sauce are both fixtures in Sichuan cuisine and are suspended in rapeseed oil (which is pressed from a yellow, flowering plant similar to mustard) and get their crunch from mushroom powder, seaweed, fermented black bean, and a variety of alliums. Both the Tribute pepper and Erjingtiao chili are slightly floral, zesty, tingly, and of course, spicy. And when contrasted with the nuttiness of the oil, they create a harmony of flavors that’ll delight your tastebuds. Spoon this stuff over rice, grilled veggies, steamed fish . . . I’ve even mixed into into salad dressings for a fun and spicy bowl of greens.
As for the Zhong Sauce? This jar packs some serious Umami. It tastes like a marriage of caramelized steak ends (blackened on the grill and marinated in soy sauce, fish sauce, and a little sesame) and the swirl of hoisin and chili sauce you’d stir together to add into pho or on a Bahn Mi. It’s rich and velvety, with a manageable spice level that carries through every bite. There’s also some sweetness there (which comes from the dose of brown sugar added to the slow-brewed soy sauce) that brings the sauce together. Use Zhong as a dipping sauce, toss a bunch of hot noodles in it, pour some into the pan while you’re sautéing mushrooms, or use it to marinate chicken thighs . . . I could go on and on with suggestions.
Finally, the Mala Spice Mix. It is quite possibly my favorite spice mix I’ve ever tried. It features 11 intense and harmonious spices (including those two Sichuan must-haves — Tribute and Erjingtiao), along with notes of cumin and mushroom that offer a complex flavor profile that’ll keep you on your toes. A pinch of sweetness and a whole lot of grounding flavor makes this mix the perfect add-it-to-everything jar of goodness. I’ve used it as a dry rub for ribs or to sautée alliums — I’ve even used mine to rim a margarita glass! This stuff is truly versatile.
IMO, if you’re looking to spice up your life, then change up your palate. It’s the best way to fuel your adventurous flame and embolden your senses. It may seem daunting, but with the seriously yummy, easy-to-use, and unique products featured in the Triple Threat, there’s really no excuse for making boring food at home. And if you love it as much as me, I’d recommend getting yourself the Shorty Spice set (a mini Triple Threat) to carry with you on the go.
Buy: Triple Threat, $42 (normally $45)