Phởzen vs Fly By Jing: Full Origin, Oil, Price Guide

People searching Phởzen vs Fly By Jing are usually trying to decide between two spicy condiments that get grouped together but aren't actually the same product. Phởzen compares itself to Fly By Jing below on origin, oil, heat, and price per ounce, with facts stated plainly on both sides. Short version: they're made in different countries, built on different oils, priced differently per ounce, and one is a chili saté while the other is a chili crisp.

Key Takeaways

• Phởzen is made in Washington, USA, in small batches, and Fly By Jing's Original Sichuan Chili Crisp is manufactured in Chengdu, China, per its own ingredient panel.
• Phởzen is built on organic avocado oil, while Fly By Jing is built on a blend of non-GMO rapeseed oil, non-GMO soybean oil, and sesame oil.
• Price per ounce differs by scale and ingredients: Fly By Jing runs about $1.50/oz at typical retail pricing (H-E-B, 6 oz), Phởzen about $2.125/oz direct (8 oz).
• They're not the same format. Phởzen is a chili saté, a smooth, infused oil. Fly By Jing is a chili crisp, with crunchy fried solids. That difference matters more than either origin or price for how each one actually behaves in a dish.
• Phởzen contains fish sauce and isn't vegan, while Fly By Jing is vegan. Worth knowing if that's a factor for you.

Why People Compare These Two Condiments

Both are oil-based, spicy, jar condiments that built a following through direct-to-consumer sales before landing on retail shelves, which is likely why shoppers search for them together. Fly By Jing was founded by Jing Gao, a Chinese-American entrepreneur, who launched the brand through a Kickstarter campaign in 2018. A 2020 New York Times feature on chili crisp that mentioned Gao and Fly By Jing drove a sales increase, and in 2025 the company shifted its focus from direct-to-consumer sales toward retail distribution, according to the same source. Phởzen has a smaller, more recent story by comparison: Royce Li cooks every batch himself in Washington State, in small weekly runs, without the retail scale Fly By Jing has reached.

The comparison makes sense on the surface, both are spicy jars people keep next to the salt and pepper, but the two products underneath are built differently enough that they're worth looking at closely rather than treating as interchangeable.

Origin: Where Each Is Actually Made

Phởzen products are made in Washington State, in small batches, made to order weekly. Fly By Jing's Original Sichuan Chili Crisp is manufactured in Chengdu, China, according to the ingredient panel listed on H-E-B's product page, which also confirms the full ingredient list. Neither fact is a mark against either product on its own; it's simply where each is made, and it may matter more or less to you depending on what you're looking for.

Origin claims carry more legal weight than they might seem to. Under the FTC's Made in USA standard, an unqualified "Made in USA" claim legally requires that a product be "all or virtually all" made in the United States, not just bottled, labeled, or assembled here. That's a genuinely higher bar than most shoppers realize, and it's part of why a specific, verifiable origin fact (a jar made in Washington, or a jar made in Chengdu) is more useful than a vague "crafted with care" type of claim either brand could make.

Oil and Ingredients: What Each Is Built On

Phởzen and Fly By Jing take different approaches to both their oil base and their full ingredient list, summarized below. Refined avocado oil's smoke point, cited by The Well by Northwell, is covered in more depth in the avocado oil guide. Fly By Jing's nutrition figures below can give an idea.

Reading the two ingredient panels side by side tells you almost as much about where each product comes from as the country-of-origin label does.

Heat: How They Actually Compare

This one is hard to compare precisely, and it's worth saying so rather than forcing a false equivalence. Phởzen publishes a self-rated heat level of "Medium, balanced warmth" on its own mild-to-insane scale. Fly By Jing doesn't publish a numeric or Scoville-based heat rating on its retail listings; its own description calls it "intensely flavorful yet not off-the-charts spicy," and it also sells a separate "Xtra Spicy" version for people who want more heat. Neither brand uses a standardized third-party heat scale, so the fairest thing to say is that both describe themselves as moderate rather than extreme, without a directly comparable number.

Price: What Each One Costs

That's a real difference worth stating plainly rather than glossing over.

Part of the gap comes down to scale. Fly By Jing manufactures at commercial volume, which spreads fixed costs (equipment, labor, packaging runs) across many more units than a small-batch operation can. Phởzen is made to order weekly in small runs, which keeps per-unit labor and ingredient costs higher.

Ingredient choice plays a role too: a single named oil like organic avocado oil generally costs more per gallon than a blended base of rapeseed and soybean oil, which are among the least expensive cooking oils on the market. Neither pricing model is wrong; the numbers simply reflect two different ways of making the product. Which one makes sense for a given shopper comes down to what they're prioritizing: batch size and a single-oil ingredient list, or a lower cost per ounce.

Format and Texture: Why It's Not Really Apples to Apples

Origin, oil, and price are all measurable, but the biggest practical difference between these two jars is texture.

That means they don't fully substitute for each other in every dish. For a deeper breakdown of how chili saté, chili crisp, and chili oil differ as categories, see chili saté vs. chili crisp vs. chili oil, and for the full picture of what a chili saté actually is, see what chili saté is.

Which One Fits Your Kitchen?

A lower cost per ounce and a crunchy, fried-solids texture point toward Fly By Jing, a well-established product with a large customer base and wide retail availability. A smooth, infused, Vietnamese-style condiment made in small batches in the U.S. on a single named oil, without a vegan requirement, points toward Phởzen instead. Someone stocking a pantry for regular cooking, marinades, and soups may lean toward the smooth format; someone who wants a crunchy finishing topping for rice bowls and dumplings may lean toward the crisp.

"I was skeptical that any sauce could go on everything, but this one came close, jollof rice with grilled chicken, a peri peri chicken bowl, you name it." Lily P., verified Phởzen customer

They're really built for different use cases rather than competing head-to-head for the same one: one is a Chinese-style chili crisp, the other is a Vietnamese chili saté, and the right pick comes down to which format and priorities matter more, not which product is objectively better. See the full ingredient list on Phởzen's product page if you want to check the details for yourself before deciding.

Phởzen vs Fly By Jing: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fly By Jing made in China?

Yes. Fly By Jing's Original Sichuan Chili Crisp is manufactured in Chengdu, China, per its own ingredient panel as listed on H-E-B's product page.

Where is Phởzen made?

Phởzen is made in Washington State, in small batches, made to order weekly.

How does Phởzen's price compare to Fly By Jing's?

In a Phởzen vs Fly By Jing price comparison, Fly By Jing runs about $1.50/oz for a 6 oz jar at typical retail pricing (H-E-B). Phởzen is about $2.125/oz for an 8 oz jar sold direct. The difference reflects scale and ingredient choice more than one being priced unfairly.

What oil does each one use?

Phởzen is built on 100% organic avocado oil. Fly By Jing uses a blend of non-GMO rapeseed oil, non-GMO soybean oil, and sesame oil.

Is Phởzen the same as Fly By Jing?

No. Phởzen is a Vietnamese-style chili saté, a smooth, infused oil. Fly By Jing is a Chinese-style chili crisp, with crunchy fried garlic and shallots suspended in oil. They're different formats in the same general category of spicy condiments.

Which one is spicier?

Neither brand publishes a Scoville or standardized heat number, so this isn't precisely comparable. Phởzen self-rates as "Medium" on its own scale. Fly By Jing describes its own heat as moderate rather than extreme (see the Heat section above for its exact wording) and also sells a separate Xtra Spicy version.

Is Phởzen vegan like Fly By Jing?

No. Phởzen contains fish sauce (anchovies), so it isn't vegan. Fly By Jing's Original Sichuan Chili Crisp is vegan.

Does either one contain gluten?

Fly By Jing's ingredient panel doesn't list wheat or gluten-containing ingredients directly in the Original Sichuan Chili Crisp, though its fermented soybean component can vary by supplier, so checking the current label is worth doing if gluten is a concern. Phởzen's ingredient list, avocado oil, lemongrass, Thai chilies, garlic, dried chile flakes, fish sauce, coriander, cinnamon, star anise, black pepper, and peppercorns, doesn't include wheat-based ingredients either. Neither claim here should replace reading the actual label on the jar you buy, since formulations can change.

Disclaimer: Prices, formulations, and ingredient lists can change after publication; figures below reflect brand and retailer listings checked as of the last-updated date above, and readers should confirm current details on the actual label before buying.