Crackle: How this Singaporean cracked the code on her perfect chilli crisp

Jet-setting restaurant and marketing consultant Audrey Yeong could be anywhere in the world, but no matter where she found herself, it was important to have one thing in her pantry: A good chilli crisp. 

It would take her nearly a year of experimenting in her kitchen in London, before she landed on a version that felt right — one that delivered the flavours she was seeking, and was easy and accessible enough to replicate, regardless of where she was.

Nearly six years on (and a move to Lisbon where she is based currently), that personal pantry staple has evolved into Crackle, a small-batch artisanal chilli crisp, which she now retails online.

Audrey launched the product in Singapore in early February, and her initial batch of 700 bottles in Singapore sold out within the first month. 

Thankfully we still managed to get our hands on a jar of this labour of love, together with a homemade focaccia folded with the crisp, and a Crackle-infused spicy margarita, as a preview of how versatile this chilli crisp could be.

How it started

Crackle began, quite simply, as a personal fix.

The 46-year-old Singaporean was living in London in 2020, when —  like many during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic — she found herself spending more time in the kitchen and whipping up more Asian flavours. 

It became clear to her that her pantry’s condiment stash was a key component that she wanted to get right. 

There were options such as Lao Gan Ma, as well as sambals and belacans, but “nothing was really a complete flavour solution”.

“You have a lot of pickled, fermented garlic chilli in a jar from China, but these were things you’d add into a blend, but were never a standalone condiment,” she says. 

For Audrey, the popular Chinese chilli oil was probably the closest to what she was looking for, flavour-wise. But she found it too one-dimensional still, and nor was she a fan of its texture.

Putting pen to paper, Audrey looked to fill this condiment void: “I embarked on getting this done on my own, to create a condiment that I would like — it was a labour of love.”

From her personal kitchen to parties

Despite having an idea of what she wanted, getting there took time.

“It went through many iterations — many oil foundations, various permutations with or without garlic,” she says. 

Texture, in particular, became a key consideration. Many chilli oils had textural components she found distracting, rather than being complementary, to the dishes she had intended to have it with. 

This led to her using Sichuan peppercorns in a powdered form, rather than whole or ground — getting its flavour, but avoiding the otherwise coarse texture that might interfere with one’s bite.

It took about a year, and in mid-2021, she arrived at a version she was satisfied with.

When you do anything condiment-related, you tend to make it in larger batches,” she says, which is how she found herself giving away jars to friends and family, and bringing it to house parties.

What she didn’t expect was how quickly people would go through it.

“They consumed it quicker than I did,” she says, matter-of-factly. 

Friends began putting it on everything, from simple breakfasts to cottage cheese. (“You can put Crackle into everything,” she says, adding that she doesn’t have the practice of doing so, though!) 

Before long, they were offering to pay for it.

Audrey admits: “It was a little weird to get money from friends, just to do a favour.”

Still, the response was hard to ignore.

The entrepreneurial gears in her head began turning: “It got to a point where I thought, maybe I’ll turn it into a business and see where it goes.”

What’s in a jar of Crackle?

With a background in graphic design before she moved into F&B consulting, Audrey spent a good amount of time developing the Crackle identity. 

“Designing things for yourself versus doing something for other people is very different — you’re emotionally attached,” she says.

At its core, Crackle is a condiment that’s built on the foundations of classic chilli oil, but with a stronger focus on flavour, depth, and balance.

Rather than just pouring hot oil over aromatics, Audrey begins by slow-cooking shallots to extract their flavour and creating a rich flavour base, before layering in the rest of the ingredients. 

“I was aiming for something that was really addictive,” she says.

She then adds a proprietary three-spice blend of hot pepper chilli flakes, Korean chilli pepper, and Sichuan peppercorns, along with fermented soy beans, soy sauce, and a touch of sugar. 

Each component plays a role: The chilli flakes give it that quick burst of heat, the Korean chilli pepper adds a more rounded, toasty warmth, while the Sichuan peppercorn adds aroma and a subtle numbing sensation. 

Notably, there’s no garlic in all of this.

“The goal for Crackle is that the flavour doesn’t stop short, but it also isn’t going to fumigate your entire palate for the whole day,” she explains.

As important as it was for her to land on the right flavour, it was also important that Crackle’s recipe was something she would be able to replicate, wherever she was in the world. 

She says: “This was created to be made anywhere. There is no gimmick to the provenance of the ingredients — it is just created to have a full, balanced flavour.”

Audrey recalls a time when she spent 18 months on the road, living out of a suitcase, and relied on small rituals and familiar items to keep her grounded. 

“Wherever I go, at least I now have something — Crackle is that for me,” she adds.

One chilli crisp, many ways to enjoy

Opening a jar of Crackle for the first time, what stood out immediately was the sweet, slightly savoury aroma of the shallots, reminiscent of the chye poh (or preserved radish topping) you’d find on chwee kueh.

On the palate, it’s flavourful enough without being overly salty or aggressively spicy, as some chilli oils can be, and it’s complex without feeling too overwhelming. 

True to her dislike for grittier-textured chilli oils, the shallots and the fermented soybeans are soft, but still have some bite.

It’s perhaps this balance that makes it easy to reach for, regardless of what you’re having. 

Audrey says it’s been used in anything from a hummus and labneh (Greek-style yoghurt), to even Christmas stuffing. 

Inspired by this, I found myself adding a spoonful of Crackle to just about anything that felt like it needed a boost — fried beehoon, steamed dumplings, and even cottage cheese, as one of Audrey’s friends had done.

And safe to say, it’s a combination that works. (Thank you, Audrey’s friend!)

I’ve since gone through a full jar and ordered two more — easily the fastest I’ve ever finished a chilli crisp. 

Nothing seems to be off the table when it comes to experimenting with Crackle. After all, versatility was always something Audrey had in mind for the condiment. 

“I don’t think that different flavour profiles from different cuisines should be exclusive to each other — I think that anything can come together to make a full flavour profile for any dish,” she says.

And others seem to think so, too. 

Audrey recently teamed up with CBD gelato bar Mondo, pairing Crackle with its smoked l’Eveque & truffle gelato (from S$7) that’s served with a mini dollop of the crisp.

It’s an unexpected combination, but one that worked so well that the gelato brand pulled this yet-to-be-launched flavour into the spotlight — serving it up until the end of this month, at least.  

I’d like to think that’s how Audrey envisioned the crisp — whether in her own kitchen or in someone else’s in Lisbon or Singapore — as a condiment that can be a part of your everyday, wherever and however you want it. 

This was a media drop.

For more spicy eats around town, check out McDonald’s new sweet paprika burgers and spicy chicken tenders and Korea’s Obongzip, now in Singapore with its popular spicy octopus.