Chili garlic paste is a very common ingredient in Chinese as well as other Asian cooking. It is a very highly flavored sauce with a thick chunky consistency.
The sauce can be used to make marinades, stir fry's, sauces and more. It adds a garlicy and salty rich taste. A little goes a long way. Personally, I use it as a condiment with steamed rice. You can add it to salad dressing too. It can be used as a simple dip for vegetables or meats.
There are hundreds of brands manufactured and one common brand in the U.S. Is Lee Kum Kee.
Well-stocked grocery stores with an Asian food section will probably sell it and of course most any Asian grocery store. Stores such as Walmart stocks it and it is found online on Amazon and other Asian specialty online stores.
Ingredients for chili garlic sauce will vary per brand. Lee Kum Kee:
Salted chili peppers, water, sugar, rice vinegar, dehydrated garlic, modified corn starch (thickener) acetic acid.
Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
Calories: 15
Sodium: 780 mg
Carbohydrate: 3g
Dietary Fiber: < 1g
Sugars: 2g
Protein: 0