Are you a chile person?  Do you like a little zip of chile-induced heat?

I recently read that studies show a correlation between preference for spicy food and risk-taking personalities.  I’ve also read that people who enjoy taking risks may be more content and satisfied with their lives. Ergo, eating chiles leads to happiness 🙂

Okay, clearly not a direct correlation by any means.  However, I love that endorphin rush you get after eating spicy food and the subsequent feeling of mellow happiness from the release of neurotransmitters in your brain (like a runner’s high, but in this case a “chile high”)…

Whenever I go to Chinatown [in Chicago] for dinner, one of the things I really enjoy is the complimentary chile oil (Is it chile or chili?  I never know which spelling is correct; I’m going with chile with an “e.”).  Either way, this chile oil is highly addictive.

When you hear the word chile, you might reflexively conclude that this oil packs a punch.  But it’s not about the heat.  Rather, it’s all about the flavor. What really stands out is the toastiness of the oil.

This chile oil recipe is adapted from Fuchsia Dunlop’s Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking.  Dunlop’s recipe calls for chao tian jiao peppers, the definitive chile of Sichauan  cooking.  Chao tian jiao peppers are also known as “facing heaven chiles” due to the fact that the chiles grow upwards facing the sky — towards heaven if you will.

The chao tian jiao chile is a bit rounder and shorter compared to the long and slender dried red Asian  chiles you commonly see.  It has a medium heat level (a 5 or 6 on a scale from 1-10) and citrusy undertones.

It took a bit of searching to procure these rather elusive chiles (which made me even more determined to track them down), but with a little persistence, I eventually found them.  I got the scoop on their whereabouts after a recent visit to Chicago, and my new favorite restaurant — Fat Rice.  The restaurant owner/chef of Fat Rice directed me to this grocery store in the Chinatown neighborhood of Chicago.  Bingo, exactly what I was looking for.  The package says Gan Jai Jiao chili peppers, so alternative spellings are definitely out there.

You can substitute with other types of dried Asian chiles, but depending on the chile, your oil may pack too much heat.  In that case, you may want to discard some of the seeds, since the seeds are where most of the heat is found.

The key to this chile oil is briefly frying the chiles in a little oil to impart those nice toasty notes.  No more than a minute or so, otherwise the chiles will burn and impart an unpleasant bitterness.  I’ve tried grinding the chiles (without frying) and pouring hot oil over the top, as some recipes suggest, but this method falls short on flavor, lacking those toasty notes.

In addition to the facing heaven chiles, the oil is infused with fresh garlic and ginger.  I also like to add a few star anise, which lend anise/licorice notes.

This oil is great for drizzling over noodle dishes, sauteed greens, stir fries, dumplings, or just about anything that needs a gustatory wake-up call.