![]() They’re only grown in one small village and are painstakingly hand-picked - so they’re super rare and really special. For example, the Tribute Peppers that give the chili crisp its floral, tingly notes are so highly prized that they were offered as tribute to the emperor. We’ve always said that our flavors are “not traditional, but personal.” For me, part of making the Sichuan Chili Crisp so personal was always going to be using ingredients that are native to Chengdu and can’t be found anywhere else. Tell us about your product development story and why your ingredients are so special! Your chili sauce isn’t just any chili sauce. I no longer have to hide behind a name that isn’t my own, and it’s been really freeing. Last year, I decided to reclaim my birth name, which was a radical form of self-acceptance. For years, I had to fight for acceptance, even as a founder who faced dismissal about the perceived value of Chinese food from investors and the public. Through diving really deep into studying Chinese cuisine when I moved to Shanghai, I began developing deeply personal connections to the flavors of where I came from - and I realized how I’d been minimizing myself all those years by hiding behind a Western name. When we lived in Europe, I started to go by Jenny as a way to fit in. ![]() Can you tell us about that experience and what motivated it?Īs I mentioned, my family moved around a lot when I was a kid. You recently changed your name back to your given name, Jing. It’s where the name Fly By Jing came from. One of the aspects of the food culture I’m obsessed with is the city’s “fly” restaurants - or little hole-in-the-wall restaurants that are so popular that they attract people like flies. We’re super excited to hang with our friends and connect with community! I’d love to know more about your hometown, Chengdu, and its food culture!Ĭhengdu is known as the “flavor capital of China,” and it’s true! You can find some of the most iconic Sichuan foods (mapo tofu, hot pot, dan dan mian) at restaurants all over the city. May 29th, we’ll be popping up for one day only at Smorgasburg LA as Chili Sundae, where we’ll be serving up Wanderlust ice cream topped with chili crisp and our limited edition FBJ x SS Yuzu Chili gummy along with event exclusive merch, sponsored by Puma. We teamed up with our friends at Sundae School, a Korean inspired streetwear brand, to create some limited edition products and an amazing event in LA to celebrate the best way we know how. Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Of course, your heritage is something you’re celebrating year-round, but are there any events or orgs you’re supporting this month in particular? So I decided to launch my all-natural Sichuan Chili Crisp, made with ingredients you can only find in China, on Kickstarter as a first foray into the CPG space. A visit to Expo West, the U.S.’s largest natural foods show, really confirmed that there was a dearth of Asian flavors in packaged foods in the West. After seeing people’s reactions and sheer enjoyment of the food, I knew there was an opportunity to introduce more people to these special flavors. I first launched Fly By Jing as a traveling supperclub, where I’d stuff all these ingredients into a suitcase (because you couldn’t find them anywhere else!) and cook all over the world. I studied with Chinese master chefs, wrote about food, and ultimately helped to open a restaurant in Shanghai. It wasn’t until a tech job in my 20s brought me back to China that I really started to connect to the food of the Sichuan region - and I became absolutely enamored with the flavor and textures and nuances of the cuisine. I was born in Chengdu, but grew up all over the world.
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