Odawaraya Garlic Crunch Oil, Original 110g

Odawaraya has been making food in Koriyama, in Japan's Fukushima Prefecture, since 1933. Its founder learned his trade at an old pickle shop in Odawara, which gave the business its name, and for decades the family made tsukudani and pickles. Today they also make a range of "eating oils": oils packed with so many crisp pieces that you spoon them rather than pour them. The Garlic Crunch Oil Original is the simplest and, for many, the best. It is a blend of rapeseed, olive and rice oil, filled with golden fried garlic and onion that stay crunchy in the jar.

This one isn't spicy. The flavour is rounded, savoury and gently sweet, with the smell of garlic slowly frying in a pan. Spoon it over a bowl of plain rice, a fried egg or a bowl of ramen and it does the work of a whole extra ingredient. It's also good on things you might not expect: buttered toast, a baked potato, cream cheese on a cracker, or tossed through hot spaghetti for a quick, Japanese-style aglio e olio.

Why We Love It

• Crisp fried garlic and onion that keep their crunch, not soft or soggy pieces
  
• Mild and savoury, so the whole family can use it
  
• Made by a Japanese food company with over 90 years of history
  
• Turns plain rice, eggs and noodles into a proper meal in seconds
  

How to Use

Stir the jar well before each use so you get both oil and crunchy pieces. Spoon over rice, noodles, eggs, tofu, steamed greens or grilled meat and fish. Use the oil to start a stir-fry or fried rice, or mix a spoonful into mayonnaise for a garlicky dip. Add at the end of cooking to keep the garlic crisp.

More Information

• Size: 110g glass jar
  
• Origin: Made in Koriyama, Fukushima, Japan
  
• Ingredients: Vegetable oils (rapeseed, olive, rice), fried garlic 19%, flavour enhancer (E621), salt, sugar, fried onion, garlic 2%, yeast extract, vegetable extract, spices (contains celery), dextrin, vegetable extract (tapioca, onion, cabbage, salt), parsley, antioxidant E306, soy sauce powder (soy, wheat flour, salt)
  

Allergens: Contains celery, soya and wheat. May contain milk, peanuts and sesame.

Storage: Store in a cool, dark place. Once opened, keep in the fridge and use within one month.

Suitable for: Vegetarians (please check label)