{"id":45658,"date":"2023-05-10T08:45:59","date_gmt":"2023-05-10T12:45:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=45658"},"modified":"2024-09-18T10:15:58","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T14:15:58","slug":"spotlight-pairing-cy-eats-mala-chili-oil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/spotlight-pairing-cy-eats-mala-chili-oil\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotlight Pairing: CY Eats M\u00e1L\u00e0 Chili Oil"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Christine Yi, photographed by Silver Chang<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are Christine Yi, the food-obsessed world traveler and active amputee who shares her adventures on Instagram with more than 254,000 followers, you don\u2019t eat dumplings in New York\u2019s Chinatown with any run-of-the-mill Chinese chili oil. You bring your own, along with a mother-of-pearl spoon. \u201cIt literally goes everywhere with me,\u201d Yi says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up in a traditional Korean household in Westchester, New York, Yi\u2019s love for food and ingredients started early. Helping in the kitchen was the norm\u2014sneaking bits of meat meant for the mandu (Korean dumplings) prepped her palate for things to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In early 2000, living on the fringe of NYC\u2019s Chinatown, Yi indulged whenever she could in the authentic bites that surrounded her; this serious introduction to Chinese food, guided by a Cantonese friend who lived nearby, was a precursor to her entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several years later, the opportunity to work in China arose. \u201cI was thrilled to go just to eat!\u201d Yi recalls. Blown away by the intense depth of flavors and how both dishes and condiments varied in heat and preparation from region to region, Yi came back to New York trying to satisfy her cravings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it was easy to get good hot pot takeout, the chili oils she found were lackluster, filled with MSG and a long list of ingredients\u2014no match for what she had in China. \u201cNothing was amazing,\u201d Yi says. \u201cFor years I kept saying, \u2018I need to find a good chili oil.\u2019 The thought of making my own never really crossed my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2014, with a husband and a hedge fund job behind her, Yi\u2019s food Instagram career began to take off, but her chili oil quest was still unfulfilled. Fast forward three years: Her fianc\u00e9, chef James Tracey, convinces her to dig up her food notes from her time in China, stop searching for the perfect chili oil, and make it herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After fine-tuning the recipe at home and documenting some of the process on Instagram, Yi got hundreds of requests to purchase her chili oil, which she began selling in the fall of 2020. She was 44 and recovering from a 17-day hospital stay after a surgery on her amputated leg, which she lost in 2003 in an accident in the New York City subway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy surgery did not heal enough to get back into my prosthetic leg, so I was crutching one-legged to the post office with a big bag of chili oil over my shoulder!\u201d Yi says. Her original product, CY Eats M\u00e1L\u00e0 Chili Oil<\/a>, boasts rich and bright savory notes combined with a silky mouthfeel, the result of coaxing a balance of flavors from chiles native to China\u2019s Sichuan province and more than 20 other spices. \u201cIt\u2019s also a bit smoky and mysterious, something I have not found in other commercial oils,\u201d Yi says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

M\u00e1L\u00e0 means tingly or numbing, and this is the milder of the two chili oils she produces. Yi lets the mixture sit for 24 to 36 hours until it\u2019s harmonious. The spicy version includes the addition of Xiao Mi La chiles, a small but mighty pepper. Each jar is labeled with its batch number. \u201cMy favorite compliments are from Chinese people who tell me that my oil is their favorite outside of China,\u201d Yi says, adding that while traditional Korean cuisine doesn\u2019t have a chili oil condiment, it doesn\u2019t mean she can\u2019t come up with one. \u201cThat idea is definitely on my radar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Pairings:<\/strong> Created by cheesemonger John Montez, ACS-CCP, Murray\u2019s Cheese<\/a>, New York<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

OLD FARMDAL GOUDA<\/a>:<\/strong> I never thought of chili oil on a cheese board\u2014but after these pairings, it has a place. This subtly sweet gouda has caramel and butterscotch notes, but it also has a bit of a bite. Original M\u00e1L\u00e0 Chili Oil complements the cheese perfectly and brings out its deep, rich flavors. Marcona almonds and Rustic Bakery\u2019s Sea Salt Flatbread are perfect accompaniments. Since the oil is so flavorful and forward, a bolder honey like Andrew\u2019s Buckwheat Honey is a great addition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MALVAROSA<\/a>:<\/strong> From Valencia, Spain, this sheep\u2019s-milk cheese is similar to a Pyrenees brebis; it also has a touch of sweetness and some nutty notes. It\u2019s a little softer than the gouda, and the chili oil brings out notes of butterscotch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MILTON CREAMERY FLORY\u2019S TRUCKLE<\/a>:<\/strong> This 12-month-aged clothbound cheddar is crumbly, peppery, and grassy. It has zero sweetness but enough flavor to balance both the spicy and original oils\u2014and enough texture for the oil to adhere perfectly. We ate it with my homemade Thanksgiving cranberry sauce\u2014it was a match made in heaven!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00c9POISSES<\/a>:<\/strong> \u00c9poisses is a funky and stinky yet lovable cheese. It\u2019s very creamy, soft, and so fun to drizzle the oil on to\u2014and the funk of the cheese tones down the oil. This pairing was my biggest shock and showed me the oils\u2019 versatility. I did not think the \u00c9poisses could get any better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHILI OIL GRILLED CHEESE:<\/strong> Instead of putting the chili oil in a grilled cheese or using it as a dipping side, grill sourdough sandwich bread (I used She Wolf Bakery\u2019s Polenta Pullman Loaf) in the original chili oil first. Then add Old Farmdal Gouda and Flory\u2019s Truckle. The result with is harmonious in taste and texture. Add a little Malvarosa to make it a bit more complex and delicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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