Chili Crunch Rub

Chilli Crunch Rub with Crunch and Fine Chilli Fire

The Chilli Crunch Rub from Cape Herb & Spice is a crunchy chilli topping in the style of a chilli crisp, with crunchy fried onions, roasted garlic, and Sichuan pepper. Not an ordinary chilli powder, but a sprinkle seasoning with bite, which you add over finished dishes.

Chilli Crunch Rub is the crunchy chilli topping from Cape Herb & Spice from Cape Town, made for sprinkling instead of stirring in. It brings crunch and flavour to everything that could use a little excitement, from fried eggs to avocado toast to a bowl of noodles. Sweet from fried onions, savoury from garlic, slightly tingling from Sichuan pepper. Let yourself be surprised where the spoon takes you.

Just looking into the can whets the appetite: reddish-brown chilli flakes, golden onion pieces, with garlic and paprika in between. 24 percent crunchy fried onions meet 17 percent chilli flakes, bound by sea salt and a spoonful of brown sugar. The mixture comes from South Africa and, with the Sichuan pepper, adds an Asian note, a bridge-building, as Cape Town loves it.

Crunchy, Sweet, with a Fine Chilli Tickle

The first bite crunches, then comes the sweet onion, after which a mild chilli heat slowly builds up. Crunchy, sweet, spicy – that’s how the topping plays on the tongue.

The Sichuan pepper adds its typical tingling sensation, that slight prickle on the tongue that makes you crave more. The yeast extract adds savoury depth, brown sugar rounds off the spiciness. Unlike a chilli oil, the Chilli Crunch Rub remains dry and retains its crunch, as long as you don't sprinkle it over a steaming pot.

The spiciness remains friendly, warming more than it burns. This is exactly what makes the sprinkle seasoning suitable for everyday use, even for those who don't like it too fiery.

How to Sprinkle Crunch on Everything

Chilli Crunch tastes good wherever a dish needs some texture and flavour; simply sprinkle it over at the end.

Try it on fried eggs for breakfast, on avocado toast, on creamy hummus, or a bowl of ramen. It also works well on grilled chicken, pizza, roasted vegetables, or a dollop of cream cheese. It also finds its place in a yogurt dip or over a bowl of rice, egg, and avocado. A tablespoon is enough, the rest is play.

If you like it even spicier, combine it with the Sriracha Chilli Hot Thai or, for real heat, with the Ghost Chilli Indian Nagaland.

Cape Herb & Spice from Cape Town since 1994

Behind the Chilli Crunch stands Cape Herb & Spice, a spice manufacturer from Cape Town, founded in 1994 by Irene Ivy.

What Irene started over 30 years ago from a small market stall at the V&A Waterfront now supplies kitchens around the globe, with over 600 employees behind her. Innovation, taste, and quality, just as Irene wanted from the beginning, continue to carry the brand today. Cape Herb & Spice sees itself as a cheeky sous chef in your kitchen and was the first supplier in South Africa with completely un-irradiated spices. All due respect.

Craving more spice? Browse through other spices from Cape Herb & Spice or get inspired by our spice blends.

Our Tip for the Crunch

Store the Chilli Crunch Rub dry and well-sealed and always sprinkle it over the finished dish only at the very end, never over a steaming pot, otherwise the crunch will soften. On a simple buttered bread with egg, it turns ten minutes into a small feast, and on the next cheese board, it sparks conversation. That's how easy it is for spice to bring joy. Simply delicious.