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Sriracha has become a popular condiment in recent years, finding its way onto everything from ramen and pizza to avocado toast. But did you know that this beloved chili sauce has a hot history and some spicy facts? Get ready, because things are about to heat up!
Sriracha Facts
How do you pronounce Sriracha?
It’s pronounced “See-rah-jah.”
Who invented sriracha?
Sriracha was invented in the 1940s by Thanom Chakkapak, a Thai woman living in the town of Si Racha (or Sriracha), Thailand. Her version is a little sweeter and thinner than the popular Huy Fong Foods brand in the United States. It is now sold as Sriraja Panich.
What are the ingredients in Sriracha?
The Huy Fong Foods brand of Sriracha is made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic powder, sugar, and salt. Potassium sorbate, sodium bisulfite, and xanthan gum are there for preservation and texture.
It’s certified Kosher, too.
How spicy is this hot sauce?
Sriracha hits the 1,000–2,500 SHU range on the Scoville scale. That’s pretty low on the scale (which goes up to the millions), about as much as a jalapeño pepper.
Why do we love Sriracha?
Red chilies have capsaicinoids, molecules that trigger a burn response. Basically, the body releases pain-killing endorphins meaning spicy foods are an experience of pain and pleasure.
Who makes Sriracha?
The brand most people think of is produced by Huy Fong Foods, in bottles with a rooster logo and green cap. The logo refers to the Year of the Rooster, the founder’s birth year in the Chinese zodiac — 1945.
Sriracha isn’t a trademarked name
The green cap and rooster logo are, but not the name itself. Sriracha is considered a generic term, something common with products named after actual locations.
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This sauce is so popular, they don’t advertise it
Demand has apparently exceeded supply since Huy Fong Foods started making it. Because of this, they have no need to advertise the sauce.
The company’s Irwindale factory can typically produce 18,000 bottles of Sriracha an hour, and the company sells 20 million bottles of Sriracha each year.
Astronauts use Sriracha in space
Apparently, it helps with congestion, a common issue in space.
Sriracha was once banned, causing widespread panic
The California Department of Public Health placed a 30-day hold on the company’s production after one neighborhood complained about the facility’s spicy smells.
You can buy (a lot of) it online
Including these 8.5lb bottles of the stuff.
Tobasco also makes sriracha
Tobasco has their own version, as do other brands.
Sriracha in popular culture
Tech N9ne released a song called Sriraracha in 2016 featuring Logic and Joyner Lucas. He uses the condiment to describe his rap style.
So I tell them all to put that on somethin’
Sriracha, I put that on everything
They have used Sriracha on Hot Ones
Hot Ones used the sauce in seasons 2 and 3. It had the lowest Scoville level of all hot sauces in both seasons.
Someone made a documentary about the stuff
Directed by Griffin Hammond, the 2013 documentary Sriracha features David Tran and discusses Huy Fong Foods’ story.
A guy wrote two cookbooks featuring this hot ingredient
The Sriracha Cookbook and The Veggie Lover’s Sriracha Cookbook were written by Randy Clemens.
Randy’s license plate is “SRIRACHA.”
This condiment is an award-winner
In 2009, Bon Appétit declared Sriracha its “Ingredient of the Year.”
There is a Sriracha car
Lexus made a Sriracha car in 2017. It had a spicy steering wheel, Huy Fong Foods branding, and a Sriracha setting (in place of Sport mode).
Maybe Randy should have invested in these wheels.
There’s a whiskey-barrel-aged sriracha
Lisa Murphy made a whiskey-barrel-aged sriracha that became so popular, she created a company called Sosu Sauces that now sells it.
There was once a gold Sriracha necklace
It is now sold out, but King Ice made a 14K gold necklace based on the famous Sriracha bottle.
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We hope you enjoyed these hot sriracha facts.
How’s that for spicy?
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Last update on 2023-12-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
