David Chang's Momofuku Responds to Controversy Over 'Chili Crunch' Trademark

The brand's lawyers recently sent cease-and-desist letters to food brands using the terms “chili crunch” and “chile crunch” on their product labels

David Chang’s Momofuku is facing backlash.

Lawyers for Chang’s company recently sent cease-and-desist letters to food brands using the terms “chili crunch” and “chile crunch” on their product labels, The Guardian reported on April 4. The outlet reported that the letters request the brands promptly omit their use of the phrases.

Michelle Tew is the founder of Homiah, which sells Sambal Chili Crunch, and was told that her company has 90 days to remove the name. Tew described receiving the Momofuku letter as a “punch in the gut” on Instagram.

“I was shocked and disappointed that a well-known and respected player in the Asian food industry would legally threaten me — a one-woman show operating on a much smaller scale — from selling a product that is part of my family’s history and culture,” the self-proclaimed “Momofuku fan and supporter” wrote, specifying that her chili crunch recipe is based on one from her “Granie Nonie.”

Barbie star Simu Liu chimed it with his thoughts on Momofuku’s letter, as the Chief Content Officer for MìLà, a Chinese American-owned food brand focused on frozen dumplings that also received a letter from Momofuku.

“Hey @momofuku, I hear you’re bullying businesses over use of the term ‘chili crunch’. As Chief Content Officer of MiLa, I propose a blind taste test of both our ‘chili crunch’ sauces. Winner keeps the name, loser (it’ll be you) backs off,” the actor posted on X over the weekend.

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According to Good Morning America, the controversy comes from Momofuku claiming that other companies using the term “chile crunch” infringes on its trademark for the term, which was acquired in 2023 from the US Patent and Trademark Office. Momofuku filed for the trademark of “chili crunch” last month, just 10 days after sending the cease-and-desist letters to companies using both “chili” and “chile”, per the outlet. Brands like Fly by Jing or Lao Gan Ma did not receive the letter as their products are labeled as “chili crisp.”

A representative for the brand told the Los Angeles Times that the trademark was not meant to “stifle innovation in a category that we care deeply about.”

The spokesperson continued, “When we created our product, we wanted a name we could own and intentionally picked ‘Chili Crunch’ to further differentiate it from the broader chili crisp category.”

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A spokesperson for Momofuku did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request to comment.

Momofuku first launched its chili crunch in 2018 before selling bottles in 2020. But the concept of chili crisps/crunches is nothing new. The spicy condiment, made by cooking chiles, spices and peppercorns in oil, was bottled by Lao Gan Ma in 1997, according to Allrecipes.

“Ours uses the same umami base as Momofuku Seasoned Salts, plus a lot of the flavors and textures we love: crispy shallots, sesame seeds, dried garlic, and coconut sugar for a hint of sweetness,” reads a Momofuku blog post. Details about the “years” the brand took to make its chili crunch are also found in a 2020 podcast episode from the Dave Chang Show.

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