Taberu Layu: How it Differs from La Yu Chili Oil
Have you ever heard that there are two types of La Yu chili oil in Japan?
One is a long-time favorite only consisting of liquid, while the other contains foods in it, which has become popular in recent years.
The former regular La Yu chili oil is a spicy liquid made from red chili pepper heated in vegetable oil.
We primarily use it as a seasoning/condiment for Chinese dishes, including Gyoza potstickers and Mapo tofu.
Taberu Layu (食べるラー油)
On the other hand, we generally call La Yu with foods “Taberu Layu (食べるラー油: Chili Oil meant for Eating)”, also spelled Taberu Rayu.
It is a slightly spicy, savory seasoning oil with crunchy fried ingredients in it, such as fried garlic, onion, Myoga ginger, and pork bits.
It is “Momoya (桃屋)”, a Japanese food company known for nori seaweed products, that popularized Taberu Layu.
The maker’s signature product “辛そうで辛くない少し辛いラー油 (Karasode Karakunai Sukoshi Karai Layu)” put on the market in 2009.
Today, Taberu Layu has gained wide popularity in Japan.
The new type of La Yu chili oil is produced by a number of food companies, and the representative variety includes S&B Okazu Raru.
Thanks to fried ingredients, Taberu Layu is less spicy and much savorier than regular La Yu chili oil and is considered a kind of appetizer.
Uses
As for the usage, many people love eating it with a warm bowl of white rice.
Other than rice, Taberu Layu chili oil works well with a variety of dishes and foods, and here are examples of the use.
- Taberu Layu pairs well with tofu. Simply put it on top of cold tofu and eat them together.
- Some people like topping noodles, like ramen, udon, or pasta, with Taberu Layu.
- When cooking eggs, some Japanese home cooks add Taberu Layu.
- Some Japanese like to eat Natto with Taberu Layu.
- Taberu Layu can be used as a seasoning for sauteed dishes.
