Sriracha: Time to start hoarding

No rooster for you!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25126194

Feh.

If you want real Sriracha sauce you should be using this:

http://importfood.com/sash0709.html

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Paul, great link. Love the letter from the "satisfied customer": The smell of these two chili sauces are intoxicating. I sprinkled some on the dog to make him smell good.

[Robin Garr]

I like sambal oelek as an alternative to Rooster Sauce - very similar flavor, with the happy addition of capsicum seeds. And portion control is easier since you can spoon it out of the jar.

The bad news is that most sambal oelek readily available around here is made by Huy Fong, too, and thus may be affected by the same regulatory tzimmis.

I like Shark Sriracha Sauce the best, and since I can't find it here, I order it from Amazon. Just placed an order for it, Duke's Mayo and Fennel Pollen. I love that Amazon has most of the unusual stuff I use, one click and here it comes! It is pricy there but I don't want or need a gallon of it, since it is something I use in spurts.

[Jenise]

I am out of Sriricha and have never tried Shark. Definitely going to hold out for this brand--hope it's more common than Lan Chi in these parts!

Jenise,

Here in New England, Shark brand Sriracha is available at nearly all of the oriental groceries that carry Thai goods.

BTW, I've got nothing against the Huy Fong Rooster Brand "Sriracha" sauce--except that they call it Sriracha. It's a very fine hot sauce in its own right. But it isn't true Sriracha, which is milder and sweeter.

I do like Huy Fong's sambal oelek, too.

-Paul W.

I read a story about this earlier this month in USA Today I was in the USA.

That article said that the factory had made their annual batch of sauce -- apparently they make an entire years supply at the end of each summer.

So it seems the injunction made by the Judge in November won't affect supplies for the next year and the factory have time to install air cleansing equipment or to move.

The article also spoke about the growing popularity of chili sauces and how every Subway was stocking Sriracha sauce and how you could find it in most restaurants. But the ones in which I asked for it hadn't even heard of it, and I couldn't find it in the two supermarket chains I went in.

[Jenise]

Paul, do you recommend the strong flavor?

Jenise,

I've only tried the "medium" flavor, which is very tasty but not all that hot.

-Paul W.

Received my Shark brand yesterday...so much better than the regular Sriracha. I never understood what all the fuss was about with the Huy Fong, but did keep it stocked for a few applications. Used the Shark brand in a batch of Turkey Taco Soup last night...outstanding and not so blasted hot...just right for me. Yum. Also, bought a tin of fennel pollen and am anxious to use it. As soon as I took the sealing tape off the tin, this wonderful aroma was in my face. Any one use product and have a favorite application for it?

[Robin Garr]

Also, bought a tin of fennel pollen and am anxious to use it. As soon as I took the sealing tape off the tin, this wonderful aroma was in my face. Any one use product and have a favorite application for it?

A local chef gave me a tin of it a while back, Karen, and I like it. It's potent, so you just need a little. I'll sometimes use it to kick up a fennel dish with a little more flavor, or to add a subtle fennel aromatic to a sauce. I haven't really come up with a dish that uses it as a key ingredient, although it just occurred to me that a little of it would probably put a simple dish of spaghetti, butter and black pepper over the top.

Thanks Robin, your suggestion was timely. Will give that a try tonight.

This article was in our local paper this morning.

http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2013/12/05/what-makes-sriracha-stink/inquiries/connecting-california/

Interesting article, Karen. Sometimes, the incorporation was for even more perverse reasons. City of Industry, I have read, was incorporated to prevent African-American dominated Compton from grabbing an industrial land (and tax) base.

Taking everything into account, I think the only sensible option is to move Irwindale away from the Huy Fong factory. The alternative of living without my rooster sauce is too horrible to contemplate.

Interesting article, Karen. Sometimes, the incorporation was for even more perverse reasons. City of Industry, I have read, was incorporated to prevent African-American dominated Compton from grabbing an industrial land (and tax) base.

I don't see how that's possible, Brian. Downey and Whittier lie in between the two cities, so I can't imagine how Compton could have incorporated that parcel of land. Could you have been thinking of West Covina?

Mark Lipton