No End in Sight For the Sriracha Hot Sauce Shortage

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, not since the tequila shortage in 2018 has a consumer product garnered so much attention.

For spicy food lover’s Sriracha is a popular hot sauce that originated in Thailand and is known for its spicy, garlicky, and slightly sweet flavor. The most famous brand of Sriracha is produced by Huy Fong Foods, and it’s recognized by its distinctive rooster logo on the bottle.

Sriracha is a type of hot sauce named after the coastal city of Si Racha in Thailand. It’s known for its distinctive blend of heat, tanginess, and sweetness, which has made it a popular condiment worldwide. The most famous brand of Sriracha is produced by Huy Fong Foods, recognized by its iconic rooster logo on the bottle.

Supply shortages can occur for a variety of reasons, such as disruptions in the production process, difficulties in sourcing ingredients, transportation issues, or even increased demand and the ongoing shortage of sriracha hot sauce has driven resale prices to eye-watering levels and the iconic red-and-green bottles going for as much as $70 on eBay and $124 on Amazon.

Huy Fong Foods, which retails the rooster-adorned variety of sriracha sauce, released a statement back in April 2022 detailing how poor weather conditions were causing a “severe shortage of chili”. Since then, Huy Fong has faced another year of production issues as pepper paucities have worsened: heatwaves have caused major droughts in the main areas (Mexico, California, and New Mexico) where Sriracha grows the 100 million pounds of chili peppers it requires to reach an annual ~20 million bottle demand.

Huy Fong reported that they have “no estimations of when supply will increase”, hot-heads across the nation are feeling the pinch: there have even been reports of customers stealing bottles from local restaurants.

It seems that, despite the ongoing shortage, there is no substitute for the Thai-derived sauce: Google Search data since 2013 shows that Americans consistently seek sriracha over other alternatives. Interestingly, Google searches for “sriracha” increased in mid-2022, after Huy Fong’s statement release, and peaked this month — clearly, reports of fiery bidding wars aren’t enough to stop sriracha being hot property.

Here’s a brief history of Sriracha:

1. Origins in Thailand: The sauce is believed to have originated in the 1930s in Si Racha, a coastal town in Thailand. The traditional Thai Sriracha sauce is made from chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt. It was commonly used as a dipping sauce for seafood and other dishes.
2. Migration to the U.S.: David Tran, a Vietnamese immigrant, founded Huy Fong Foods in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. Tran’s version of Sriracha was inspired by the Thai sauce, but he made adjustments to create a thicker, more consistent texture. He also used red jalapeño peppers for their availability and consistent spiciness.
3. Rooster Logo: The famous “rooster sauce” logo was inspired by David Tran’s Zodiac sign, the Rooster. This logo has become synonymous with Huy Fong Foods’ Sriracha brand.
4. Popularity and Cult Following: Over the years, Huy Fong Foods’ Sriracha gained a dedicated fan base due to its unique flavor profile. It started becoming a staple not only in Asian cuisine but also in various other dishes around the world.
5. Culinary Trend: Sriracha’s popularity skyrocketed during the early 2000s as it became a trendy ingredient in the culinary world. It began appearing in a wide range of dishes, including sandwiches, salads, soups, and even cocktails.
6. Legal Disputes: In 2009, Huy Fong Foods faced legal issues related to its manufacturing facility in Irwindale, California. Complaints from neighbors about the strong odor emanating from the chili grinding process led to a lawsuit. However, the company later took measures to address the odor concerns and continued its operations.
7. Cultural Phenomenon: Sriracha’s popularity led to its incorporation into various consumer products beyond the original hot sauce, such as chips, mayonnaise, popcorn, and more. The sauce also became a cultural icon, inspiring merchandise, memes, and even a documentary film titled “Sriracha.”
8. Imitation and Competition: Due to Sriracha’s success, numerous imitations and competing brands entered the market, offering their own versions of the spicy sauce.

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