These days, you can’t go into a restaurant without finding Sriracha sauce on the menu or in a bottle on the table.
You’ll also easily find it available for pick up in just about any grocery store. Of course, it wasn’t always that way. And the American love of Sriracha sauce carries an interesting history with it.
Just What Is Sriracha Sauce?
Traditionally, Sriracha sauce is made from garlic, chilies, and vinegar. While you might think it has a deathly bite to it, usually, it’s not as hot as all that. Mostly that has to do with the chilies that are used. Sriracha sauce can actually be quite sweet and perhaps even carry a little fruity flavor hidden behind the garlic. Once again, that has to do with the chilies. Even the hottest of chilies can be a bit sweet and fruity… if you take all the capsaicin out of them. That doesn’t mean that Sriracha is mild; it can have quite a kick to it, especially if you’re not used to adding spices or peppers to your meals. But, this sauce is an Eastern development, and with the Asian love of chili peppers and hot sauces are widely known, Sriracha should come as no surprise.
However, there is a bit of a debate as to where Sriracha sauce developed. According to one story, there was a woman, Thanom Chakkapak, living along the coast in Thailand. She is reported to have developed the sauce in this village known as Si (or Sri) Racha. Where she got the name for the sauce doesn’t require a lot of mental gymnastics. But, in the US, the best-known brand is Huy Fong Foods, and that’s owned by a Vietnamese immigrant.
But, for most people, it little matters exactly where Sriracha sauce developed, as long as they can continue to enjoy it across the globe.
The Sriracha Sauce Apocalypse
Not too long ago, there were very real concerns from Sriracha sauce lovers as to whether they would be able to get their hands on this condiment in the future. That’s because a judge temporarily halted the production of the Huy Fong Foods factory. There weren’t complaints about the sauce – or even the sanitation of the plant; it all had to do with the factory fumes. Hot sauce enthusiasts panicked, and they began stockpiling all the bottles of Sriracha that they could. Filled with fear, the Sriracha sauce lovers named it the Sriracha Apocalypse. And, if the ban hadn’t been lifted, we can only imagine what would have happened.
But for as wonderful as the original (or what we believe to be the original) Sriracha sauce is, at Ashley foods, we can’t help but wonder what a Mad Dog Sriracha would taste like. You know, with a bit more kick from the peppers used? Now that is something to consider, isn’t it?