Taberu Rayu: Japanese Chili Oil with Crunchy Fried Garlic

When it comes to condiments for rice, Furikake is a classic in Japan, while I introduce here “Taberu Rayu (食べるラー油: literally chili oil meant for eating)” is a new type of rice condiment that became a topic of conversation in recent years but has already gained wide popularity.

Taberu Rayu

Now, Taberu Rayu is fairly well recognized as Japanese chili oil with crunchy fried garlic in other countries as well, and not only for plain white rice, but it is actually used as a seasoning or condiment for a wide range of foods.

Pioneer

One of the pioneers of Taberu Rayu is a product that was introduced in 2009 by “Momoya (桃屋)”, a major Japanese food company well-known for its rice seasoning products, and in the next year, the Momoya’s Taberu Rayu became a big hit in Japan.

Seeing the new-type of rice condiment becoming a fad, other large food manufacturers also went into the market, so today, many varieties and variants of Taberu Rayu can be found in Japan.

Momoya Taberu Rayu

Nonetheless, even now I like the Momoya’s Taberu Rayu most and actually enjoy it at home. In fact, in addition to being one of the pioneers of the Taberu Rayu products, in Japan, the Momoya’s chili oil with crunchy fried garlic has become the most beloved Taberu Rayu now.

Compared to the classic Japanese chili oil “La-Yu (ラー油)” consisting only of spicy oil without containing foods in it, this Taberu Rayu has a much more savory taste that comes from fried ingredients in it such as garlic and onion, and is not spicy at all. Thus, those who don’t like spicy stuff can also like it.

Ingredients

Specifically, according to the ingredient list on the side of the jar, the main ingredients in the Momoya Taberu Rayu chili oil are rapeseed oil, sesame oil, fried garlic, red chili pepper, fried onion, sugar, salt, spicy miso, paprika, ground sesame seeds, onion powder, and powdered soy sauce.

Uses

As I mentioned above, the Japanese chili oil with crunchy fried garlic, Taberu Rayu is a kind of versatile condiment (seasoning) that can be used for a variety of food in various ways and the combination with steamed plain rice is a basic.

The Taberu Rayu chili oil is not only used for rice and other Japanese foods like ramen, tofu, and natto, but it also pairs well with a wide range of Chinese and Western dishes. So just with this Japanese chili oil, you can effortlessly deepen the taste of foods you eat in daily life.