Dan Dan Spicy Sesame Sauce

When I first tasted Helen and Leo’s dan dan sauce it blew me away. It made my lips numb, too… in a good way.

We met Helen and Leo—the folks behind Superlova, the company that makes this sauce—in San Diego, where they’re based. Their dan dan sauce is a Sichuan street food classic, made from toasted sesame paste, olive oil, chilis, and spices you’ll find in the Sichuan province of China. Whenever you see “Sichuan” in a name, you know it’s going to be spicy and this sauce definitely fits the bill… but it’s so much more, balanced between spicy, savory, and smooth.

Traditionally you’d toss this spicy sauce with noodles and some minced pork or vegetables and diced scallions for an easy meal. You can—and should!—eat it that way. But in this era of “chili crisp that” and “crunchy hot sauce this” there’s no shortage of other uses, too. In the morning: eggs. For lunch: mix with mayo for kickin’ sandwich spread. Dinner: dip your dumplings.