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NBC News
14-04-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Talking Shop with Fly By Jing founder Jing Gao
Talking Shop is our series where we talk to interesting people about their most interesting buys. When Jing Gao founded Fly By Jing in 2018, she had one goal: help people bring their favorite Asian flavors home. Prior to starting her company, she ran an underground supper club with a similar intention, and after developing a handful of sauce bases for recipes, she started bottling them to sell. One of those sauces might be in your refrigerator or pantry right now — I practically add Fly By Jing's Sichuan Chili Crisp to anything savory I eat, and use its Sichuan Gold chili oil when I really want to amp up a dish. Of course, Fly By Jing's products are staples in her kitchen, but Gao relies on many others when hosting or cooking dinner for her family. I talked to her about the kitchen essentials she can't live without, plus the food item she used to stuff her suitcase with before flying home from Singapore. 'Zojirushi is the Rolls Royce of rice cookers,' says Gao. 'I use it pretty much every day in my kitchen, and I have a small one because it's just me, my partner and my baby. You just press a button and it makes perfect rice every single time.' Beyond using it for rice, Gao also cooks congee in it. When she's using a wok to boil, steam, stir fry or braise ingredients, Gao's utensil of choice is long wood or bamboo cooking chopsticks. 'They give you more precision when you want to pick things up, and they're really good for separate noodles,' she says. 'Since they're so long, it prevents you from getting your hand all up in the steam and oil that might be splattering.' 'I have a lot of hot pot at home, and whenever I host, I love making it because it's the most simple yet impressive food that just looks beautiful,' says Gao. 'It's such a communal, wonderful experience where you're cooking and eating with friends, and it goes on for hours. It's a huge spread, but all you really did was wash some vegetables, chop some tofu and lay out pre-sliced meats from H-Mart or 99 Ranch.' 'With hot pot, you basically need some kind of a stove on your table,' says Gao. 'I love the Iwatani because you don't need to mess with cords since it runs off gas. You can put it in the middle of your table with your hot pot over it, and it's great for camping, too.' Diaspora Co. Aranya Black Pepper 'I swear by and only use Dispora's black pepper,' says Gao. 'It's the best black pepper and it will make you feel like every black pepper you've had in the past is awful. It's that good.' She also uses the brand's other single-origin, ethically-sourced spices, all of which are 'beautifully packaged' so Gao recommends gifting them to the home cook in your life. Toiro Donabe Steamer Mushi Nabe 'You can make hot pot in any type of pot, but I prefer a donabe, which is a Japanese clay vessel,' she says. 'They've been using it for thousands of years in China and Japan, and there's something about the clay that really holds the heat when you're cooking and amplifies the flavor.' Gao's favorite donabe is from Toiro, a Los Angeles-based brand. 'Toiro's artisan-crafted clay pots are just incredible and their donabe is such a versatile vessel. I cook hot pot in it, but I also use it to cook rice, steam vegetables and make Japanese curries.' Gao has this large donabe from Toiro that comes with a steamer attachment. She often makes soup or rice on the bottom, and salmon and vegetables on top in the steamer. 'It's all about convenience,' says Gao. 'I love making fresh rice, but sometimes, I just do not have the time,' says Gao. 'Having ready-to-eat rice in a bag that you just microwave for a minute is so easy.' She often uses Lundberg's 90-second rice to make fried rice, and adds vegetables and eggs to it. Irvins Salted Egg Salmon Skin Chip Crisps 'The most popular snack brand from Asia is Irvins, which is based in Singapore. I would literally go to Singapore and stop at the airport just to grab these chips,' says Gao. 'They're most famous for their salmon skin chips. Somehow, the way they fry it makes it super crispy and delicious, and they coat it in all kinds of flavors, like salted duck egg.' Why trust NBC Select? I'm a reporter at NBC Select who covers topics like health, fitness, home and kitchen. I interviewed Jing Gao, founder of Fly By Jing and cookbook author, about her favorite products to cook with at home.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The 'So Easy' Chili Crisp Rice I Could Eat Every Single Day (It's THAT Good!)
This article may contain affiliate links that Yahoo and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links. For as much as I love to cook, sometimes I just need to be able to put together a meal quickly and without much effort. Usually, this means I'm turning to Trader Joe's frozen aisle or relying on packs of rice that I can pop in the microwave. I'll admit, though, that I have had a hard time finding ready-to-heat rice that I actually like to eat. My favorite one — or what used to be my favorite one — comes in frozen packs from Trader Joe's, but given that my freezer space is super limited, I've been looking for an alternative that I can keep in my pantry. At long last I've finally found one that's so flavorful, I could eat it every night of the week. Fly by Jing — a brand our team loves for its delicious chili crisp and instant noodles — has collaborated with rice brand Lundberg to create its new Chili Crisp Rice. It's so easy to make, but it doesn't taste like it — it beats every other microwaveable rice pack that I've ever tried by a mile. Fly by Jing $23.94 Buy Now Fly by Jing x Lundberg's Chili Crisp Rice has become my weeknight hero when I need a tasty, fast, and easy side for dinner or a base for a bowl. My issue with other microwaveable rice pouches and cups is that I've found that they can end up tasting like plastic at worst, and too bland at best. I'm happy to report that that is absolutely not the case here. It's packed with flavor, thanks to the inclusion of Fly by Jing's beloved Sichuan Chili Crisp. The spicy and savory topping can be used on everything — including ice cream! — so it comes as no surprise that it takes rice to the next level. However, the rice is also excellent in its own right. The rice Lundberg uses is both Fair Trade Certified and Regenerative Organic Certified, so you can feel good about the fact that it's not just delicious, but also that the brand looks out for the environment and its workers. And to top it all off, you can have the rice ready for your next meal in less than two minutes. The end result is gluten-free and packed with five grams of protein per serving. When I tell you I would eat Fly by Jing x Lundberg's Chili Crisp Rice straight out of the bag for dinner — no meat, veggies, or anything else added — I'm so serious. This is easily the most flavorful rice I've ever had, and I'm including rice that I've eaten at restaurants in that statement. Once cooked, the jasmine rice is nice and tender, and it has a little chew to it. And the Sichuan Chili Crisp adds some umami with notes of sesame, garlic, and, of course, chilies. One thing I was curious about before trying this rice was how spicy it would be. I can handle a good amount of heat, but because I wanted to pair it with other foods, I didn't want the rice's spiciness to overshadow everything else. Thankfully it didn't end up being a problem. The rice definitely has a kick to it, but I felt like it was a nice complement to my (not spiced) stir-fried shrimp and veggies. Taking all of that into account, I can confidently confirm that Fly by Jing x Lundberg's Chili Crisp Rice is easily the best rice pouch I've ever pulled out of my pantry. It checks all the boxes for me: It cooks up quickly, has great texture, and is packed with flavor. Plus, even though it's already flavored for you, it's really versatile with other foods. I love it as a base for different types of bowls and as a side for my stir-fries. I'm going to make a crispy rice salad with my next pack! Buy: , $23.94 Why People Are Ditching Their Seltzer After a Disturbing Study Tuscan Chicken Is the "Most Delicious" Dinner of All Time, Says Everyone Who's Tried It Ball Just Dropped the Most Beautiful Mason Jars for Its 140th Anniversary ("So Iconic!") Sign up for The Kitchn's Daily newsletter to receive our best recipes, posts, and shopping tips in your inbox.
