Sriracha
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Sriracha (Template:PronEng or SEE-rah-chah) is the generic name for Thai-style hot sauce named after the seaside city of Si Racha, Thailand, where it was first produced for the local seafood restaurants. Typically made from sun-ripened chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt, it is a common condiment in many Asian restaurants.
Flavor
The flavor of both Thai and popular non-Thai versions is dominated by its central ingredient, hot chilies. To achieve a blend of hot, sweet, and spicy, other items such as sugar, salt, garlic, and vinegar are typically added. Traditional Thai Sriracha tends to be more tangy and thinner than non-Thai, which is often thicker in texture. Versions featuring lemon grass, ginger, galanga and other exotic flavors have been introduced in Thailand for the export market.
Originally exclusively a fresh sauce domestically consumed, Sriracha sold as a prepared product typically contains preservatives such as potassium sorbate, sodium bisulfite, and citric acid to maintain its shelf life before and after opening.
Common Uses
In Thailand, Sriracha is frequently found as a dipping sauce, particularly for seafood. Beyond its native boundaries Sriracha serves as a general-purpose hot sauce in a variety of cuisines, appearing anywhere from a condiment for Vietnamese phở to a topping for sushi rolls and pizza in the United States. Increasingly Sriracha is used in snack foods in America, appearing in a sauce for buffalo wings, atop French fries, sandwiches, pasta sauces, even combined with parmesan cheese on hot popcorn.
U.S. Trademark
Authentic Thai-produced Sriracha is made under license as Golden Mountain Sriracha Panich by the Thai Theparos Food Products Public Company Limited of Thailand. The popular “Sriracha” of American Asian food shops, restaurants, and tables is a proprietary product of Huy Fong Foods, which has trademarked the name there. Thus importers of even authentic “Sriracha” type hot sauce may not use the term “Sriracha” for their products in the U.S., including Golden Mountain.
External links
- Huy Fong Foods Inc.
- Comparison of the principal US brand to a popular Thai brand
- David Tran: The Emperor of Hot Sauce, Los Angeles magazine, April 2001
