ProfileHow Chinese chilli sauce brand Fly By Jing became hot stuff in the US, and why its founder reclaimed her birth name
- Started in 2018, Fly By Jing has been taking the US by storm with viral premium products like its Sichuan Chili Crisp – which even goes well with ice cream
- Founder Jing Gao talks about her no-compromises approach to showcasing Chinese flavours, gaining belief in herself, and expanding diners’ horizons
Through her brand Fly By Jing, Jing Gao is recalibrating centuries-old misconceptions about Chinese cuisine with a compelling story and even more convincing products.
Her first viral creation, the now-iconic Sichuan Chili Crisp, grew out of the piquant sauce base she cooked with during her stint as an underground supper club chef in Shanghai – an intense, complex carnival of electrifying spice, smoky chilli and fragrant oil.
“It just so happened that it translated really well into a shelf-stable condiment that you could not just cook with, but also just put on top of whatever – including ice cream,” says the native of Chengdu, the capital city of China’s Sichuan province.
That’s incredible considering how drizzling Sichuan chilli oil over vanilla ice cream wouldn’t have been part of the conversation among food lovers a decade ago.
Fly By Jing has been growing ever since it started in 2018, courting the likes of national food critics, celebrities and influencers around the world.
Yet, with the brand on everybody’s lips, Gao found she was at odds with herself.