The bottle with the rooster and the bright green cap is as recognizable these days as the Heinz ketchup bottle or French's classic yellow mustard. This chili sauce has become a sensation. People from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds are enamored with the stuff.
Most people think of sriracha as an Asian product but it was actually created in the United States. Founder of Huy Fong Foods and creator of the sauce David Tran developed the chili paste as a condiment for pho, the national dish of Vietnam. He did not anticipate selling 10 million bottles a year.
Sriracha's popularity has sparked imitators from other Asian food companies. Some utilize the green cap while others appropriate the rooster logo. Some copycat brands include Cock brand from Thailand, Shark brand from China, Phoenix and Unicorn brand from Vietnam.
Moreover, chefs like Jean-Georges Vongerichten have confessed to sriracha being their secret ingredient. Restaurant chains such as Applebee's and P.F. Chang's include sriracha in dipping sauces for their signature appetizers.
Sriracha even has a cookbook, The Sriracha Cookbook, devoted to its various uses. Needless to say, sriracha chili sauce deserves a spot in your pantry. Stay tuned for an article on different ways to use sriracha in your own kitchen.
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Comments
June 2, 2011
Where the hell are the "10 tips"? All I read was some propaganda for sriracha and an ad for a cookbook. Telling me where sriracha came front is not a tip.
June 2, 2011
Ummm, yeah, read the last line...."Stay tuned for an article on different ways to use sriracha in your own kitchen."