Winner
Monster Crunch Chili Crisp
Monster Sauce’s delicious Monster Crunch Chili Crisp is poised to become your new pantry staple. Co-founders and partners Kelly Mandeville and Paul Massie created the crunchy condiment to serve adventurous, spice-loving home cooks like themselves: people looking to elevate their everyday cooking.
A Chinese food staple, chili crisp isn’t standard on local grocery shelves just yet, so, when travelling to places where it is more common, such as Portland, Ore., the duo capitalized on the opportunity to taste-test. “We would bring back suitcases full of sauce,” Mandeville says.
Their research methods certainly paid off. Monster Sauce’s chili crisp includes fried garlic and peanuts (for extra crisp), ginger, onions, two kinds of chiles, seaweed and salt in both the original recipe and the extra-hot version. The sauce has gained traction and was even given a starring role on the menu at Leopold’s Tavern last April, when the Monster Crunch Burger was honoured as the pub’s Burger of the Month.
“You can put it on everything,” says Mandeville, who admits she has even tried it over vanilla ice cream.
Sweet or salty, Monster Crunch Chili Crisp is sure to spice up any dish.
$15
monstersauce.ca
What the judges said:
“I’ve had a lot of chili oils, but this one changed the game for me. Amazing flavour, wonderful crunch and beautiful packaging make this an instant favourite. I have to stop myself from putting it on all my meals!” -Matthew Penner
Read our guide to the best local gifts.