What’s the difference between chili oil and chili crisp?

The main differences between chili oil and chili crisp are the components and the oil-to-crisp ratio. And the terms are not necessarily interchangeable. Chili crisp has chili oil, but chili oil doesn’t have chili crisp. If that idea confuses your brain, let’s break it down together.

Chili crisp refers to chili oil and crisp ingredients, such as chili flakes, fried garlic, fermented black beans, and so on. You should be able to taste and see the crisp textures. Some chili crisps contain more oil than others, but what constitutes chili crisp is the presence of crisp. In contrast, chili oil purely means oil, like olive oil and canola oil. It’s simply chili-infused oil, so there are no visible flavoring agents.