Product review: Bondi Heat chilli oils

Bondi heat chilli oils are the perfect condiment for those who like a little (or a lot of) spice in their life. They are more versatile than what you may think.

Bondi Heat chilli oils

You may know Asian-style chilli oils which are delicious but sadly usually produced using poor quality oils and added sugar at the very least. They may also contain additives such as colours for that menacing bright red look.

Bondi Heat, on the other hand, uses cold pressed extra virgin olive oil with no sugar or additives.

The current line has 3 flavours: Carolina Reaper (hot), Peri Peri (medium) and Chipotle (mild) and comes in hip flask shaped bottles each containing 170mL of product. You can buy them individually or as a pack if you’d like to sample all the flavours.

Ingredients

These chilli oils contain only 3 ingredients: Australian cold pressed extra virgin olive oil 95%, chilli and garlic. The difference between flavours is the type of chilli used: Carolina Reaper, African birds eye (Peri Peri flavour) and chipotle.

Note that the garlic in the products is crushed and not just infused. Therefore, these oils may not work for some people who are sensitive to garlic.

Nutrition information

The table below shows the nutrient content per suggested serving of 15mL (1 tablespoon) and 100mL for the purposes of comparing to other products.

Nutrient	Per serve (15mL)	Per 100mL
Energy (kJ)	493	3310
Energy (kcal)	118	791
Protein (g)	< 0.1	0.4
Total fat (g)	13.2	88.8
– Saturated (g)	2.0	13.8
Carbohydrates (g)	0.1	0.8
– Sugars (g)	< 0.1	0.2
Sodium (mg)	< 1	< 1

Taste test

I got the mixed pack to try all the flavours. Full disclosure: I know the owner of the company but paid in full for the products. I enjoyed all the flavours but checked on the bottle level as an indication of my preference. Turns out I’m a Carolina Reaper, followed by the Peri Peri, followed by the Chipotle, which makes sense!

I first tried the oils in the obvious way: drizzled on toast and salads. I have also used it for cooking (yes, you can cook with extra virgin olive oil as it contains natural polyphenols and antioxidants that protect it from heat). If you use it for cooking you can use it either as the cooking oil or as part of the marinade. I have also made homemade chorizo-style fresh sausage with pork mince, Bondi Heat oil and paprika.

Besides heat, you do get a fairly pronounced extra virgin olive oil and garlic taste. Keep this in mind if you don’t like one or the other, or if you do not want those flavours in a particular meal.

Summary and recommendations

If you like spicy food and extra virgin olive oil, Bondi Heat chilli oils are a good quality addition to your pantry. You can use it for drizzling, marinating or cooking. You can use it instead of hot sauce, however check the energy content is this is a concern for you.

Finally, if you experience digestive issues when consuming garlic, check your tolerance to these oils.

More information

To learn more about the company’s back story and their products, to buy online or look up stockists in your area, head to Bondi Heat’s website.

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