Huang Fei Hong – Spicy Crispy Peanuts

Bitter: ⭐⭐✰✰✰

Salty: ⭐⭐✰✰✰

Sour: ✰✰✰✰✰

Sweet: ✰✰✰✰✰

Umami: ⭐⭐✰✰✰

Heat: ⭐✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

Quick Flavor Notes: Chili flake, peanut, numbing, metallic

Texture: Semi-firm nuts with lots of chili threads and some chewy Sichuan peppercorns

Recommended: Yes

Ingredients: Peanuts, Chili, Non-GMO Soybean Oil, Salt, Spice, Monosodium Glutamate, Vitamin E

After trying 50Hertz Tingly Peanuts, a brand designed to introduce the American audience to the wonders of Sichuan peppercorns, I decided to try some made by a Chinese brand that are apparently quite popular in the native land of the Sichuan peppercorn.

The ingredients list on these is pretty simple – peanuts, chili, soybean oil, salt, spices, and MSG, and vitamin E. I’m assuming the Sichuan peppercorns are just lumped into the “spices”. The ingredients are similar to the peanuts by 50Hertz, though 50Hertz is proud of using two different types of Sichuan peppercorns and also includes a bit of additional flavoring in the form of sugar and rosemary oil. Of interest in the use of Vitamin E in the ingredients. Looking it up apparently it’s used as a food additive to help preserve oily foods from going rancid. The Huang Fei Hong nuts also list the chiles well above the place where they are in the 50Hertz nuts, so I was expecting some more heat.

The Huang Fei Hong Crispy Spicy Peanuts come in a fun little inflated bag with instructions to shake them before opening. Not only do you get a fun maraca sound by doing so it also rubs the chili shreds and bits of Sichuan peppercorns around on the peanuts inside the bag to make sure they’re evenly coated in the seasonings. In terms of flavor the Huang Fei Hong nuts do have a bit more heat than the 50Hertz version, but the numbing sensation is considerably less compared to the 50Hertz Tingly Peanuts. The quality of the peanuts themselves are also not quite as nice on the Huang Fei Hong nuts – while the 50Hertz nuts were plump with a good crunch and tasted fresh, the Huang Fei Hong nuts are a bit staler and not as crunchy. There also aren’t nearly as many Sichuan peppercorns inside. It is worth noting there is a considerable price difference however, as the the 50Hertz Tingly Peanuts come in at $1.36/oz for a four-pack, while the eight-pack of the Huang Fei Hong Spicy Crispy Peanuts come in at just 67 cents per ounce. The 50Hertz Tingly Peanuts are a superior and more premium product, but for snacking on a budget the Huang Fei Hong nuts are completely acceptable.

While the Huang Fei Hong Spicy Crispy Peanuts aren’t as good as the previous Sichuan peppercorn peanuts I’ve tried they’re still tasty, and as mentioned they’re economical. For those reasons I’ll still happily recommend these, however if you have the extra to spend, I’d go with the 50Hertz Tingly Peanuts, as those will be the ones I’ll be re-ordering myself.