Overseas Lao Gan Ma fans explore unique ways of pairing the Chinese sauce with Western dishes and ingredients, such as bread, wine and cheese. (Photo/Courtesy of Simon Stahli)
It was on a 2003 trip to China that the Fischers, an American couple from Raleigh, North Carolina, first discovered Lao Gan Ma chili sauce. They were browsing the condiment aisle in a local grocery store when they spotted the glass jar with its bright red label.
"I thought it looked unusual," remembers Mike Fischer. "In the U.S., all the faces on product labels have big smiles, but Lao Gan Ma featured a woman with a very serious face."
On a whim, they bought a bottle, and later tried it out with a plate of pot stickers. They were immediately hooked - with its crispy chili flakes, rich, oily flavor and smooth heat, Lao Gan Ma offered the perfect complement to their meal. "It offers not just spice, but also flavor and texture," says Fischer.
Best of all were the peanuts - crunchy bits of shrapnel that, Fischer, being the gentleman he is, picked out of his bowl and gave to his wife - something that, 13 years later, has now become a habit for the couple.
"She told me she can feel my affection for her [whenever I do it]," he laughs. "There are not too many peanuts in a jar, so each one is like a little prize."
Since that first taste, the couple has conceived a burning (no pun intended) love for Lao Gan Ma.
Fischer, now 49, has gotten a number of chances to return to China thanks to his job in the video game industry, and he soon got in the habit of picking up a jar or 10.
The couple even bring their adult sons a jar whenever they visit. "It is now a special kitchen ingredient for two generations of our family."
The Fischers aren't alone; in recent years, Lao Gan Ma has seen growing popularity overseas, even earning itself an online fan club: "The Lao Gan Ma Appreciation Society," a Facebook page that, as of the time of publishing, has 1,146 mostly foreign members.
Like Fischer, many overseas Lao Gan Ma fans believe there's a reason why this particular sauce caters to international palates.
Many have realized that not only does it offer its own distinct flavor and cultural associations, but a certain versatility that makes it perfect for everything from Chinese pot stickers to Mexican food; in other words, the perfect fusion of East and West.
The 'grumpy lady' sauce
Lao Gan Ma (which means "old godmother" in Chinese) was founded in Guiyang, Guizhou Province in 1996 by Tao Huabi - the grouchy-looking woman on the label - who reportedly earned the nickname "godmother" thanks to her mothering nature.
Since then, the brand has grown into a household name, with a range of popular flavors that include chili in oil, spicy chili crisp and soybean chili sauce.
Fischer said the sauce has the magical power of transforming vegetables or leftovers he doesn't like into something delicious.
"[My wife] is not always happy when I prefer the 'Grumpy Auntie' taste over her cooking," he jokes. "I also add it to Mexican food, such as tacos and burritos. It adds a nice hot flavor that matches the Mexican spices very well."
In the past, the couple used to stock up whenever they traveled to China, but in recent years, that hasn't been necessary.
"It is much easier to find [in the U.S.] now," Fischer says.
"I have also noticed that recently other companies are selling sauces with a very similar label design."
Lao Gan Ma may be available overseas, but it doesn't come cheap. On Chinese e-commerce platform yhd.com, a 280-gram jar of the soybean chili sauce costs 8.8 yuan ($1.35), while on amazon.com in the U.S., the same jar of sauce sells for a whopping $8.99.
Price aside, Fischer thinks Lao Gan Ma has big potential in Western markets. "I think it could be very popular in the U.S. and has the potential to sell beyond just Asian markets," he says.
Fischer is evidence of the brand's potential for gaining customer loyalty among Westerners - he says he'd love to watch a documentary about Lao Gan Ma and even visit their factory in China one day.
