These end-of-the-month blog posts are tough. My market reports have all been posted, I've written all my contest submissions, and pretty much gone through everything that's been on my mind. BoingBoing and TwistedSifter don't have anything really useful at the moment. I'm drained. Empty. Out of ideas.
But wait! I do have one little thing I could share with you.
Taberu Rayu!
What, you say?
Well, Taberu Rayu lyrically translates from Japanese to "chili oil that can be eaten". Doesn't sound too promising does it? But this little condiment - which originated in China a long time ago and is more accurately known as Chili Oil with Crunchy Garlic - has taken Japan by storm over the last 4 years or so, and is now making its way to our shores.
Like Sriracha, this stuff is great on almost everything - rice, pasta, eggs, pretty much anything. I ate some the other night on crackers spread with cream cheese and it was wonderful. But unlike Sriracha, it's not terribly hot/spicy. It's basically sesame oil infused with chilies and contains chunks of fried garlic and onion. A small amount of it can totally transform a dish.
It's not yet easy to find, nor is it particularly cheap - a 3.9 oz. jar imported from Japan runs $9.60 on Amazon. But trust me on this one - you'll want to order more than one jar. This stuff is fabulous. Try some - you'll thank me.
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