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One thing the author misses about the oil choice: what makes caiziyou superior to other oil choices is that it has a high viscosity. That results in the chili oil sticking to food and the tongue better once used; it probably also affects the fluid dynamics of the frying step in a way, though I can't say if it's significant.
My "recipe" is simply caiziyou and erjingtiao, hot flash method, and it works well enough. One thing the author misses about the oil choice: what makes caiziyou superior to other oil choices is that it has a high viscosity. That results in the chili oil sticking to food and the tongue better once used; it probably also affects the fluid dynamics of the frying step in a way, though I can't say if it's significant.
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The article I linked to mentioned that fresh herbs could be a source as well. The article from OP mentions peppers can as well. So, I guess one has to be careful.
I wouldn’t do this myself, but theoretically heating the oil relatively high for a while before consuming would destroy any toxin buildup. The other route would be adding enough acid to prevent botulism from growing, but I think that can be a bit tricky.
ph, salt.
im sure a high purity ethanol also
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Some people derive joy from doing it this way. You or I may not agree with it, but that doesn’t mean it’s a wrong way to enjoy something.
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If it bothers you so much, don't engage with it. Taking time on a Sunday to write really nasty things about people sharing their hobbies on the internet doesn't seem especially full or joyful.
> I’ve also thought about doing a really low and slow extraction, say by using a sous vide machine. You do run into food safety issues, since the chilies can contain botulism. Sous vide was my first thought, since that avoids the evaporation and oxidation that decreases the intensity of the low and slow method. However I don't think botulism is any more of a concern here than any other sous vide dish and high heat do…
I think some purists would think it tastes weird. It's a very "clean" chilli flavour. I think it would have been a lot better with more aromatics, and when I'm done with this oil I'll likely give that a shot.
When visiting various countries in Europe (Italy, Spain, etc) I've run across the equivalent of farmers markets where they have varying types of infused oils. The oils often have the seeds/herbs/etc. in the bottle. I wonder what method these vendors use. I know people who have simply put herbs/peppers/etc directly into oil and go with that method. I've not heard of them getting botulism, but maybe it was luck. When l…
According to the CDC, food-borne botulism is pretty rare, just 21 cases in the US in 2019: https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/surv/2019/index.html
That being said, it can be fatal so certainly it wouldn't be advisable to take the risk.
My favorite chili oils take the chilis just beyond a perfect maillard "sear" and venture very slightly into burnt territory. Many peppers have a natural bitterness when dried, and that slight bitterness added from the barely burned flavor brings out some extra, magical, umami depth. Adding some acidic elements makes for some incredible dishes. I have found that smoked chilis lose their smokiness with high heat though…
I’ve made chili oil this way and it seems to draw out more flavor and there’s the slight burnt flavor that I love.
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Next time, instead of traveling, just ask someone who's already been there for a summary.