JING GAO
FOUNDER and OWNER at FLY BY JING
August 2021
Spice, girl! Since launching Fly by Jing in 2018, founder Jing Gao has taken her love of pantry staple Sichuan chili sauce to the masses. Inspired by the flavors of her hometown Chengdu and its many soulful hole-in-the-wall eateries, Jing took off with her Sichuan Chili Crisp— made with all natural ingredients and hand-crafted in her hometown— and hasn’t stopped since. Her bold vibrant flavors now also include Zhong Sauce and Mala Spice Mix and all manner of peppers and chilis to tickle your palate. One taste of Fly by Jing and you’ll get that electric taste, bud. That special sauce? Jing’s got it. Let’s take a moment and meet Jing, shall we?
Follow Jing Gao @jingtheory
Follow Fly by Jing @flybyjing
Who are you?
Jing Gao, the founder of condiment and spice brand Fly by Jing.
What’s on your mind?
Flavor, in all of its big, bold, messy, varied forms.
Where are you right now?
In my Silver Lake house in Los Angeles, but just back from a quick (and delicious) jaunt to Ensenada, Mexico.
When did you start?
I started Fly by Jing as an underground supper club that traveled the world, exploring the flavors of my home of Sichuan. What eventually because our Sichuan Chili Crisp was a base I'd use for many of the dishes I'd cook during those dinners. I decided to launch it as a jarred sauce in 2018. Our Kickstarter was on of the biggest food success stories in the site's history, and since then, we've expanded into other original sauces and spices, as well as the highest-quality Chinese ingredients that we painstakingly source.
Why do you do what you do?
I want to change the perceived value of Chinese food in Western culture and beyond. There's a misconception that Chinese food should be fast and cheap, when actually it's a highly nuanced cuisine with thousands of years of history.
Wise words:
We say that Fly By Jing is "not traditional, but personal." If I can help someone to explore this beautiful cuisine through my lens, I'll feel like I've done my job!