Lao Gan Ma is the reason most people in the West started paying attention to chili crisp. The little jar with the woman on the label has been in Asian grocery stores for decades and developed a following that eventually crossed over into mainstream food culture. It's a legitimate classic and it deserves its reputation.
But it's not the only option. Here's how it stacks up against Boon Sauce.
The oil base Lao Gan Ma uses soybean oil as its base. Boon Sauce uses canola oil. Canola is lighter and more neutral, which lets the aromatics come through more clearly. Soybean oil has a slightly heavier quality that some people love and some find too rich.
The heat Lao Gan Ma's original chili crisp sits around a 4 to 5 out of 10 on heat. It's present but mild enough that almost anyone can use it. Boon Sauce Original runs hotter at 6 out of 10, and Xtra Hot pushes it to 9. If you've been using Lao Gan Ma and wanted more heat, Boon is the natural next step.
The ingredients Lao Gan Ma's ingredient list includes fermented black beans, which give it a distinctive funky depth. It's part of what makes it taste like itself. Boon Sauce uses anchovies instead, which serve a similar purpose — adding a savory, umami backbone — but with a cleaner, less fermented flavor profile.
The texture Both have crunchy bits suspended in oil. Lao Gan Ma tends to have more solids relative to oil. Boon Sauce has a higher oil-to-solid ratio, which makes it slightly more versatile as both a cooking oil and a finishing condiment.
The origin Lao Gan Ma is made in China and imported. Boon Sauce is made in small batches in Los Angeles by Chef Max Boonthanakit, a Thai-Chinese chef who grew up eating chili oil and built his own version from scratch.
Which one should you buy? Both, honestly. They're different enough that they don't really compete with each other in your kitchen. Lao Gan Ma for its funky fermented depth. Boon Sauce when you want something cleaner, hotter, and built around a different flavor profile.
If you've never tried Boon Sauce and you're a Lao Gan Ma fan, start with the Original. It'll feel familiar and different at the same time, which is exactly the point