9oz · $20

For the Lan Chi faithful. You've been waiting.

If you know, you know.

For decades, Lan Chi Chili Paste with Garlic was the answer when knowledgeable chefs were asked which Chinese chili sauce they preferred. Complex. Deeply umami. Funky garlic. Fermented black beans underneath. Made in Suzhou. Nothing else quite like it.

And then it was gone.

Lan Chi's maker stopped producing sometime in the early 2010s. The Facebook page went dark in 2012. Shelves emptied slowly across Asian markets in San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Albany — jar by jar, until there were no more. Devoted fans like Radical Family Farms founder Leslie Wiser drove to every Asian market they passed through, scanning the sauce aisle, hoping to find a stray jar still in stock. Others ordered multiples online when they could find it, rationing what remained. By 2023, old stock was appearing on eBay for $60 a jar.

No replacement ever quite filled the void. Chili crisp is not Lan Chi. Doubanjiang is not Lan Chi. Nothing was Lan Chi.

We didn't set out to replace Lan Chi. We set out to remember it.

In November 2024, Radical Family Farms founder Leslie Wiser — who grew up eating Lan Chi and spent years scanning sauce aisles looking for it — asked her chef friend Linda Esposito to help recreate a taste from childhood. Not a copy. Not a knockoff. A new fermented chili paste inspired by that memory, made from ingredients grown right here on our farm in Sebastopol. That recipe — that memory — became the foundation of our sauce.

After locating a co-packer in December 2025, Radical Family Farms Duo Jiao was born.

Leslie's family tasted it. Their reaction was immediate.

The label is transitioning to our new Dragon and Bunny line.

What makes ours different from Lan Chi and what connects them:

Lan Chi was beloved for its complex layered flavor: roasted chili depth, funky fermented character, and the umami foundation of fermented black beans underneath everything.

Our Duo Jiao honors that same flavor philosophy:

We use our own farm-grown Er Jing Tiao 二荆条 : the foundational chili of Sichuan and Hunanese cooking, prized for fruity floral character rather than raw heat. Grown in Sebastopol soil, certified organic, no-spray, harvested at peak ripeness.

We add douchi 豆豉 : salt-fermented black soybeans — the same magical fermented black bean element that made Lan Chi's depth so distinctive. Douchi brings intense umami and funk while acting as a fermentation catalyst that deepens the entire paste.

We ferment with Bai Jiu : traditional Chinese sorghum liquor — for complexity and natural preservation.

We finish with toasted sesame oil for fragrance and warmth.

The result is not Lan Chi. It is something new that understands why Lan Chi was loved.

Duò Jiāo 湖南剁椒

Hunanese fermented chopped chilies with douchi fermented black soybeans

Ingredients: Certified Organic Radical Family Farms Chili Peppers*, Douchi Salt Fermented Black Soybeans, Salt, Bai Jiu Sorghum Liquor (Sorghum, Pea, Rice and Wheat), Toasted Sesame Oil

*Organic
Contains: Wheat, Soy, Sesame

The flavor profile:

Deeply umami. Savory. Salty. Spicy with fruity Er Jing Tiao character underneath. Slightly tangy. Aromatic. Funky depth from the douchi. Complex in layers.

Heat level: 🌶️🌶️ Medium. Comparable to cayenne and Tabasco. Eat it with food and the heat is perfect.

Coming Fall 2026. Three New Variations:

We are expanding the Duo Jiao line with three distinct versions, releasing December 2026 as part of our Dragon and Bunny chili collection:

Duo Jiao with Garlic — For the Lan Chi faithful. The version that started it all.

Duo Jiao with Douchi — The current recipe. Fermented black soybean depth front and center.

Duo Jiao with Sichuan Peppercorn — The mala version. Numbing, tingling, aromatic. For those who want the full Sichuan experience in a fermented paste.

Sign up for our newsletter to be notified when the Dragon and Bunny collection launches.

What to eat it with:

The classic Duo Jiao Yu Tou 剁椒鱼头
Steamed fish head blanketed in Duo Jiao, the dish that made this condiment famous from Hunan to the world. Spoon generously over whole fish before steaming, finish with hot oil poured over scallions.

The everyday:

• Scrambled eggs with a spoonful stirred in before the eggs set

• Spooned over silken tofu with a drizzle of our Olio Nuovo

• Tossed with hand-pulled noodles and black vinegar

• Stirred into fried rice in the final minute

• Mixed into dumpling dipping sauce for depth

• Spooned over any protein before steaming or stir frying

• On everything, anytime, whenever you need a zing and a kick

About Linda Esposito @flavor_explosions:

Linda discovered Radical Family Farms through a post about tong ho — a childhood favorite — and never left. A cooking instructor specializing in East and Southeast Asian cuisines, she teaches at 18 Reasons and Civic Kitchen in San Francisco and Milk Street Kitchen in Boston. She is an advisory board member of the Good Food Foundation, where her work focuses on the intersection of sustainability, equity and food. During the pandemic she partnered with RFF to teach our CSA customers how to cook with Chinese heritage produce.

This Duo Jiao is the product of that collaboration: Linda’s culinary expertise and Leslie's childhood memory of a flavor she spent years trying to find again.

Storage and shelf life:

• Shelf stable unopened

• Refrigerate after opening

• Six months unopened · Best within one month of opening

• Lacto-fermented prior to steam pasteurization · No artificial preservatives

Dietary: Vegan ✅ · Gluten free ❌ · Contains soy ⚠️ Contains Sesame ⚠️

Certified organic chilies grown at Radical Family Farms, Sebastopol, California.
9oz · $20

Part of The Radical Family Farms Pantry Bundle . Find it every Sunday at the Sebastopol Farmers Market. Shipping to 50 states on www.radicalfamilyfarms.com