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Malaysian-Chinese · handmade in London

The chilli oil
that goes on
everything

Try naming a dish it doesn't improve. We'll wait.

Shop the jarsRead the family story
The full Mama Yu range of chilli oils and sambal stacked on warm linen

Meet the jars.

Six Malaysian-Chinese chilli oils and sambal - built for eggs, noodles, rice, dumplings, and whatever's already in your fridge.

SMALL BATCH, HAND MADE

What it takes to fill a jar

Fresh red chillies being washed and sorted by hand
DAY 01 · 09:30

Wash

Fresh chillies first. No shortcuts.

DAY 01 · 15:10

Fry

Garlic, onion and lemongrass take their time.

DAY 02 · 09:20

Stir + taste

Mama decides when it is ready.

Rows of chilli oil jars being filled by hand
DAY 02 · 18:45

Hand jar and seal

Every box leaves the kitchen by hand.

THE FAMILY RECIPE LEDGER

Written down. Mostly.

The method has moved across generations. The measurements remain exactly as precise as Mama needs them to be.

01Fresh chilliesone very full basket
02Garlicexact amount redacted
03Lemongrassuntil the kitchen smells right
04Low heatdo not rush this bit
05Mama's taste testnon-negotiable
余妈妈passed down, not standardised
Xien and her mother Jolene laughing together in a black-and-white portrait

XIEN + MAMA · TWO PAIRS OF HANDS

A LABOUR OF LOVE

Three generations. One family table.

It starts with Popo, who grew up on a chilli farm in Malaysia, where chilli oil or sambal was always on the table. Those flavours travelled with the family, appearing in every kitchen and every meal.

In 2022, Xien and Mama Jolene made thirty jars for a small online release. They sold out in ten minutes. Today, every batch is still roasted, fried, stirred, tasted and jarred by hand using the family recipes that started it all.

01Fresh chillies
02Slow-fried aromatics
03Jarred by hand
“We want to build an empire—but keep it authentic.”
Read the whole story →余妈妈

FROM OUR KITCHEN TO YOUR TABLE

A family recipe, in motion.

PRESS PLAY · 00:21XIEN + MAMA JOLENE

BUILT BY HAND

Small batch doesn't mean small ambition.

A full day washing and roasting chillies. Another frying garlic, onion and lemongrass. Late nights in the kitchen. Fast sell-outs. Mama Yu has grown, but the work still looks like this.

30jars in the first drop
10 minuntil they sold out
75k+jars shared since
Xien and Jolene celebrating between stacks of freshly packed Mama Yu boxesPACKED BY MUM ↗

Find Mama Yu near you

Find Mama Yu chilli oil at independent delis, grocers and restaurants in London, Sheffield and Europe.

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