Rayu, Japan's Chilli Oil

Rayu is Japanese chilli oil. It is written ラー油. The 油 on the end means oil. The ラー comes from the Chinese 辣, meaning spicy.

If you have eaten in a ramen shop you have already used it, probably without asking what it was. It is the small bottle on the table next to the soy and the vinegar. You add it a spoonful at a time until the broth tastes like you meant it.

What rayu actually is

Classic rayu is thin and clear, closer to a hot oil than a sauce. Chilli is steeped in oil, the oil takes the heat and the colour, and the solids are strained out. That is the version that has sat on Japanese tables for decades.

The version that travelled is the crunchy one. The solids stay in the jar: fried garlic, sesame, chilli, sometimes nuts. It stopped being something you pour and became something you spoon. That change is most of the reason rayu left Japan.

Rayu, chilli crunch and chilli oil are not the same thing

They get used interchangeably and they should not be.

• Rayu is Japanese. Sesame leads it. The heat is present but restrained, and the seasoning usually comes from soy or tamari rather than salt alone. It is built to go into a broth without taking it over.
• Chilli crunch, or chilli crisp, comes from the Chinese side. Heavier on crisp solids, drier in the mouth, and usually hotter. You notice it.
• Italian chilli oil is olive oil, dried chilli and herbs. Thin, no solids to speak of, meant to soak into a pizza base rather than sit on top of it.

If you want the difference in one line: rayu goes in the bowl, chilli crunch goes on the plate, chilli oil goes over the top.

Peanut rayu

Peanut is not traditional. It is the variant that turned rayu from a restaurant condiment into something people keep two jars of at home.

The reason it works is not complicated. Roasted peanut is fat and sugar and a lot of savoury depth, and it rounds the heat off at the edges. Chilli on its own arrives and leaves. Chilli with peanut behind it has somewhere to sit.

Ours

Tamari, canola oil, garlic, sugar, sesame oil, dried Korean chilli flakes and peanuts. That is the whole list.

It is crunchy, it is savoury, and the heat arrives at the back of your throat a moment after you have swallowed. It builds, then it leaves without making a fuss.

It took first at Mr Chilli ANZ in 2024, in 2025 and again in 2026. Three years, judged blind on flavour against the rest of the country. It is our best seller and it is not close.

What to put it on

Start with rice and a fried egg. Hot rice, the egg on top, a generous spoon of rayu over everything. It is the fastest good dinner there is and it is the dish that explains rayu better than any description.

After that it goes on noodles, dumplings, cold tofu, roast vegetables, and anything that has come out of a pan looking a bit plain. Mix it half and half with soy and you have a dumpling sauce.

Seven recipes on this site are built on the jar:

• Rayu Butter Noodles
• Peanut Rayu Sesame Noodles
• Peanut Rayu Noodle Soup
• Rayu Egg and Smashed Cucumber Salad
• Peanut Rayu Crispy Rice Salad
• Peanut Rayu Poached Chicken and Charred Broccolini
• Chilli Oil Noodles

Keeping it

Cupboard, out of the light. Do not put it in the fridge. The oil clouds and the solids set hard, and you will be waiting on it every time you want a spoonful.

The solids settle, so give the jar a stir before you use it rather than pouring the oil off the top and wondering where the crunch went. Unopened it keeps 12 to 18 months. Opened, it will not last that long.

Questions

What does rayu mean?

Spicy oil. ラー from the Chinese 辣 for spicy, and 油, the Japanese word for oil.

Is rayu the same as chilli crunch?

No. Rayu is Japanese and sesame led, seasoned with soy or tamari, and built to go into a bowl of broth. Chilli crunch comes from the Chinese chilli crisp tradition, carries more crisp solids and usually more heat.

How hot is peanut rayu?

Hot, but not punishing. The heat lands after the flavour rather than in front of it, and the peanut keeps it in check. If you eat chilli at all you will be fine.

Is rayu only for Japanese food?

No. It is a chilli oil with nuts and sesame in it. It does not know what cuisine your dinner is. Eggs, potatoes, roast cauliflower and a cheese toastie all take it happily.

What is the best thing to put rayu on?

Hot rice with a fried egg. If you only try it once, try it there.