Vegetable oil infused with the color and fire of hot red chili peppers is a staple seasoning throughout north and central China. It is used mainly in cold dishes or as part of a dipping sauce for dumplings or springrolls, but occasionally is sprinkled on top of a stir-fry as it exits from the wok. Some people I know insist on carrying a bottle of chili oil with them most everywhere they go and putting it on most everything they eat, but I am more of a spice-loving moderate. “A little dab’ll do you,” as they used to say in the Bryl-Creem commercials, and that’s my cautionary word on hot chili oil.

• When quality sesame-based hot chili oil is unavailable, or when the price you need to pay for it is painful, here is an easy way to make your own. The process takes only minutes, and the only equipment required is a small heavy pot, a mesh strainer, and a square of cheesecloth. The result is a beautifully bronze and fiery oil, with a scent of sesame and the ability to enliven a wide variety of foods.
• Please note that this is not a cooking oil. It is a seasoning oil, meant to be used sparingly. Once made, it will keep indefinitely in a cool place without paling in either color or flavor.