Our Love for This Sauce
In fact, our very first post on the blog, for Simple Spicy Pan-fried Noodles, uses the sauce. The name of the brand is in Chinese only, so everyone made up their own name for the brand which, in Chinese, lao gan ma, means “old godmother.” Here are some names we’ve heard over the years:
“Lady sauce” (our family’s preferred terminology) “Old lady sauce” “Angry man sauce” (we had to clarify to a neighbor that it’s actually a woman on the label!)
People may not know the proper name of the brand, but they know they can create wonderfully tasty dishes by adding in a spoonful of these sauces.
The Godmother is actually a real person––a widow who never finished school and can’t read. But her sauces helped raise her two boys, and she built a world famous brand in just twenty years’ time! As a businesswoman in a former life, I understand hard work, but going from a small village in China to building a global brand boggles my mind. Her secret is the focus on the quality and integrity of products, and she proudly claims that her sauces are available wherever you find Chinese people! We even saw her sauces once in a Wegmans! It’s a global movement, people. I see no difference:
We have not had a chance to try all her sauces and condiments, which range from many kinds of chili oil and sauces, to fermented bean curd, to hot pot sauce bases. But the two sauces that have their permanent spots in our refrigerator are the Chili Crisp and Black Bean Sauce. We use it as an addition to hot pot dipping sauce, noodles, and even stir-fried mixed vegetables. I made this simple dish of Lao Gan Ma Noodles with the godmother’s chili crisp as an example by combining the hot oil technique from my Hot Oil Noodle recipe. It’s pretty great, but try it for yourself!
Lao Gan Ma Noodles: Recipe Instructions
First prepare the sauce base in a large bowl by mixing together the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, scallions, ginger, garlic, “godmother” sauce, sesame oil, za-cai, and sesame seeds.
Heat the oil in a wok using medium heat, and wok fry the peanuts for 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through.
Take out the peanuts and drizzle the hot oil left in the wok into the sauce base.
Boil the dried rice noodles per package instructions. Once the rice noodles are a minute away from done, add in the leafy greens to blanch. Cook for the remaining minute, and then drain the noodles and the greens. Pour the sauce base over the noodles, stir to combine, and top with chopped cilantro and peanuts. Mix well and inhale enjoy!
