Before Jing Gao (born in China and raised in Europe and Canda) relocated to America in 2019 to launch Fly By Jing, her namesake line of Sichuan sauces and chili crisps, she was living in Sichuan Province for 10 years where she worked at a tech company. At that point during her 20s, Gao had no connection to food and had never been interested in cooking—but, given that she was serendiptiously living in her birth city of Chengdu, she wanted to “peel back the layers of my identity, where food became the vehicle for self-discovery,” she says.

In her quest to reconnect with her roots, Gao went all in on learning about Sichuan food culture. “The more I delved into it, the more I realized how misrepresented Chinese food was internationally so it became my mission to shine new light on the cuisine and to show that this 5,000-year culinary heritage deserves more respect,” she says. Gao quit her tech job, trained with a renowned Sichuan chef, opened a restaurant, then pivoted to hosting an underground international pop-up supper club as the sole chef. “I took the traditional recipes and asked myself, How do I make this my own? How do I make it a personal expression? The adaptation is what I call Sichuan soul food,” she says.

Earlier this year, Gao released her first cookbook, The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp, a collection of 85 homespun recipes of appetizers, mains, and desserts that incorporate Sichuan flavors and ingredients (and Fly By Jing sauces, of course). “We’re just beginning to bring this condiment and these flavors from Sichuan to more people so the book was a natural evolution to further our purpose and to evolve culture through taste,” Gao says. “It’s also a very personal story of my journey how I came to be doing what I'm doing.” The modernized dishes in the book—such as deviled tea eggs, hong shao carnitas tacos, spicy scallion oil noodles, and baijiu negroni—are inspired by the recipes Gao concocted for her traveling supper club. She says the idea behind the book is to show readers “how easy it is to bring these Sichuan flavors into their homes and make it their own,” just like she had done.

Gao, who now lives in Los Angeles, spends most of her time in the kitchen where many of her favorite home products are in constant rotation. When it comes to cooking, Gao loves her silicone spatula from Gir, a Japanese donabe, and Crocs for feet support. As a frequent hostess of dinner parties, Gao swears by eco-conscious home cleaning products from Blueland for pre- and post-festivities tidying. As for her go-to pantry goods, many of Gao’s essentials can be found at the recently-opened Suá Superette in Larchmont Village, a Sichuan grab-and-go market and eatery that Gao co-founded with Stephanie Liu Hjelmeseth. The shelves showcase Asian-founded food brands like Sanzo, Nguyen Coffee Supply, and Omsom. “It’s a very strong community of founders who support each other and celebrate each other's successes and growth,” says Gao. “We started a movement five years ago when we became the first modern Asian food brand to launch in the US and now we're part of a rising tide of many that are expanding the pie together.”

The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp

“The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp is an ode to this condiment I love and a story of resilience, breaking free from tradition, and writing new narratives.”

Salsero Spoon

“Precision and elegance in one. The Salsero Spoon helps me plate dishes beautifully and turn my meals into delicious art.”

The Fly by Jing Smoked Salmon Trio

“When I want quality seafood, Fishwife is unmatched. In fact, I love their product so much that we ended up collaborating on a Smoked Salmon tin with our Sichuan Chili Crisp.”

Tower 28 Make Waves Mascara

“Taking care of my skin is just as important as nourishing my body with good food, and Tower28 products always feel clean, fresh, and invigorating.”

GIR Spatula

“If I had to choose one kitchen essential it would be the Gir Spatula. It’s the perfect tool for both cooking and baking. Its ergonomic design and durability make it a kitchen essential for me.”

Crocs

“I find myself cooking a lot, and these Crocs are my trusty companions, keeping me steady and comfortable during long cooking sessions.”

Ghia Totem Glasses

“I love Ghia and I’m an investor in the brand; it's an incredible product. The founder, Melanie, is French and very chic and I love everything that she does. These glasses are beautiful on the dining table.”

Blueland Clean Suite Kit

“I really admire Sarah Paiji Yoo, who’s one of the founders of Blueland. I respect and love her vision for a plastic-free future and she has built this incredible home cleaning and personal care brand around this concept.”

Toiro Hakeme Donabe Pot

“Toiro is a local store in LA and they sell artisan-made Japanese clay pots. They have many types and styles but this one’s a classic for soups, broths, pretty much anything. I have five or six of their pots. Everything just tastes better in a donabe.”