Our Story
Blank Slate Kitchen makes small-batch sauces for people who like to cook and eat with curiosity. Two are on the shelf today: Sichuan Chili Oil and Zhug. Both are non-GMO and made without preservatives, colorings or additives.
We were founded by a New York Times-starred chef who spent years in fine dining kitchens in New York City and abroad. Restaurant cooks taste constantly and adjust until a dish is balanced, and we develop every sauce the same way.
The chili oil started with a lunch at Old Chengdu in Singapore. It was fragrant and savory, with the tingle of Sichuan peppercorn, and it changed how we thought about heat. Ours is infused with a dozen spices and aromatics, two kinds of crushed chilis and freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns.
Zhug came from a love of cilantro. The first taste was bright, bold and unlike anything else in the pantry. It’s a Yemeni herb-and-chile sauce that works like chimichurri, salsa verde or chermoula, and ours leans on jalapeño, cardamom and cumin.
Our sauces are on more than 600 retail shelves, including Whole Foods. They have won the Better Homes & Gardens Food Award (2024), the SELF Pantry Award (2024) and a Good Food Award (2018).
Use them everywhere: on noodles, eggs, dumplings, roasted vegetables, grilled meat, sandwiches and rice. If you want ideas, start with our recipes.
Thanks for cooking with us,
The Blank Slate Kitchen team
