Mom's Mala is a vibrantly red and deeply fragrant Sichuan chili oil that is all about bringing out the aromatic side of chili, balancing mouth-tingling (ma) Sichuan peppercorns with spicy (la) chili peppers. This classic mouth-tingling sauce is a classic condiment much harder to find on supermarket shelves than other Asian hot sauces that feature peanut or garlic. Rounded out with a blend of star anise, cinnamon and cloves—the core spices of Chinese five-spice powder—and a touch of sugar and oil, this Sichuan chili oil has floral and lightly smoky notes and is available in both mild and spicy versions.

This chili sauce is enhanced with preserved black beans, mushroom powder, sesame oil and garlic for a complete flavor profile. The crispy bits of chili, the namesake ingredient of this dish, provide bursts of contrasting texture, making it an ideal tableside topping for stir frys, soups, braises and more.

Ubiquitous Chinese black vinegar is rich, tart and slightly sweet—with a fermented malty taste and woody character that distinguishes it from the light-colored and fruity rice vinegar. This one is crafted by one of the oldest and most well-known producers in the country, who ages the dark liquid for 6 years in traditional urns to achieve its complexity. It’s not too astringent, with a full-bodied character that yields nuanced notes of molasses and something like the brightness of a high-quality bar of dark chocolate, nothing like the other black vinegars we sampled that weren’t given time to age. A pantry staple in Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine, black vinegar contributes a unique flavor to food that (despite what you might read online), can’t be replicated with other dark vinegars like fruity balsamic.

We’ve been on the hunt for the best XO sauce for years and haven’t found one that quite hit the mark until we discovered this one, made in small batches in Brooklyn by Michelin-recognized chef Hannah Wong. Most varieties of the chili and dried seafood-based sauce are mass-produced—and you can tell, but Haema’s is crafted with care: Each ingredient—like dried shrimp, dried scallops and smoky bacon (departing from the traditional use of ham) is slowly fried individually to coax out the most flavor before being combined with a medley of aromatics and seasonings like rice wine and fish sauce. It’s then finished with a splash of fragrant Korean chili oil. The sauce is jammy, silky and decadent—punctuated by soft, toothsome bits. The delicate, lightly briny sweetness of shellfish hits your palate first, grounded by meaty umami and a pleasant quiver of chili heat.

We love the complex, mouth-numbing quality of floral, piney Sichuan peppercorns, but their aromatic compounds are notoriously short-lived, so store-bought dried versions are often stale and flavorless. Like a bold wine that needs a bit of time to breathe, Green Sichuan Pepper Oil has powerful resinous aromas and earthy, funky notes that some might find daunting when the bottle is first opened. No need to worry: With a bit of air, that intensity mellows and softens, and the oil's complex crushed-pine aroma comes through, along with floral-citrusy notes.

Not to be confused with a chili oil or hot sauce, Red Sichuan Peppercorn Oil yields a pleasant tingling sensation instead of heat and spice. Bold and aromatic, red peppercorns have a more woodsy and floral flavor with a hit of citrus, though not as much as their green counterparts. While there are some chili products on the market that showcase the peppercorn’s numbing tingle, most mask its flavor with other strong ingredients like fresh chilis and garlic. We love this version’s clean, pure taste that showcases the peppercorn without any background notes from the carrier oil itself (a mark of quality) and how each layer of its robust flavor has been brought out—gently blooming on your tongue and lingering beautifully. A little of this oil goes a long way, but it’s easy to control how much you add with its small bottle so you can adjust the level of its addictive numbing tingle.

These medium-ground flakes are a combination of three Chinese chili varieties: er jing tiao chilies for fragrance, facing heaven chilies for color, and xiao mi la chilies for heat. The peppers are toasted and fried, thus possessing an extra-rich flavor and uniquely crisp texture that makes them utterly addictive.

Dobanjiang (alternatively spelled toban djan) is an intensely flavored paste made from fermented broad (fava) beans, chilies, salt and seasonings.Mala Market is importing the best version we have tasted of this pantry staple: remarkably deep, savory and spicy—far more so than any supermarket version. It’ll be your new secret ingredient and salvation for midnight noodles or last-minute meals.

Chinese five-spice is an all-purpose seasoning blend, used in everything from braises and stews to spice rubs and marinades. Mala Market adheres to the classic combination of star anise, cassia cinnamon, fennel, clove and Sichuan pepper—many other brands substitute this last ingredient for easier-to-find black or white pepper, but Sichuan peppercorns are essential for balancing the sweeter flavors of cinnamon and star anise with savory, citrusy notes.