Umami (/uːˈmɑːmi/, from Japanese: 旨味 [ɯmami]) can be translated as "pleasant flavoursome taste or deliciousness".
Papi (/pɑːpi/, from Spanish: [papi]) can be translated as "daddy".
Food and cooking has always been one of my greatest passions, with chilli oil being an avenue to enjoy both simultaneously.
There was not a lot of productivity for me as a first year analyst in a graduate role in 2020. We were all trapped indoors, isolated in the boring comfort of our homes with not much to do. Without the freedom of gathering camaraderie to visit your favourite restaurants you are stuck at home, either seldom refining your culinary skills, ordering UberEats or eating the same old meals you are sick of. Every day just felt the same. I was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram which led me to think, what could I do with all this free time to possibly make it better for myself and others all at home?
Born out of Melbourne's stage 4 lockdown, UmamiPapi is a modern take on traditional chilli oil. It offers the complete experience of flavour. Packed with the perfect balance of taste, aroma, texture and spice, it is the ultimate experience for any individual, or the gastronome.
"Enriching culinary experiences for every palate, by cultivating and sharing new age condiments for everyone."
What once began as a weekend lockdown project, where I thought I would only sell a dozen or so jars to some friends and family, has hit national supermarket chains and become a pantry staple to households all around the country and even some parts of the world. For that, I am forever grateful.
The community is a huge part of UmamiPapi and is something I will never take for granted. I believe that food is an embodiment of community - your jar of UmamiPapi being the catalyst to this connection, built on the pure enjoyment of food. It starts at the very moment you receive your jar, staring at the chilli guy’s cheeky face on the label, twisting the cap off, introducing you to; in my own clearly unbiased opinion, one of the greatest condiments of all time. Welcome to the umami parti.
- Ethan Yong, Founder & CEO
The History of
UmamiPapi
Chilli is in our DNA
At age five, Ethan’s mother teased him into trying chilli.
“My mum was like “Look, if you don’t start eating spicy food now, you’re going to miss out on a lot of foods when you’re older. And for some reason, in my five-year-old brain, I knew I’d be missing out.”
This love for spice lead to experimenting with different recipes and flavours during university, where Ethan started to develop his passion for food and cooking. Friends and family would come over and take home jars of his homemade chilli oil.
It was only until 2020 during the height of the COVID lockdown, when one of Ethan's friends gave him the idea through an Instagram story to start selling his homemade chilli oil online.
Ethan would spend entire weekends cooking batches of chilli oil. He took advantage of working at home, by using lunch breaks and time after work to pack and send out online orders from his garage.
One day on a weekly grocery shop for ingredients, he realised that UmamiPapi Chilli Oil could not only be sold online but also in stores. That's when he decided to use annual leave while he was working a 9-5 to go and approach stores around Melbourne, introducing people to his product.
Once production started to ramp up, he hired his first set of employees and moved operations to a commercial kitchen in Richmond, Victoria. The team at UmamiPapi was born.
Fast forward to today and UmamiPapi has now expanded their production, warehouse and office spaces into their own headquarters based in Hawthorn East, Victoria. UmamiPapi also supplies restaurants around the country to feature their chilli oil on menus.
As of 2023, UmamiPapi Chilli Oil is now available over 700 retailers across the country, including Coles Supermarkets and selected IGA stores. What once began as a weekend lockdown project, has now hit national supermarket chains and become a pantry staple to households all around the country and even some parts of the world.
Our community
Join the Umami Parti
The community is a huge part of UmamiPapi and is something I will never take for granted. I believe that food is an embodiment of community - your jar of UmamiPapi being the catalyst to this connection, built on the pure enjoyment of food. It starts at the very moment you receive your jar, staring at the chilli guy’s cheeky face on the label, twisting the cap off, introducing you to; in my own clearly unbiased opinion, one of the greatest condiments of all time. Welcome to the umami parti.
Review & win
Each month, the top review is sent a jar of Umamipapi. Head to our products to get some inspiration. This isn’t a game of chance. Winners are chosen based on the best review.
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