{"id":110406,"title":"What is Sriracha sauce?","modified":"2025-10-29T17:04:47+01:00","plain":"What is Sriracha sauce?\n\n\n\nSriracha sauce is a hot sauce of Thai origin. It\u2019s made from chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar, salt, and various spices, all fermented. It has a distinctive flavor that made it wildly popular, and it\u2019s now a common sight in Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese restaurants. \n\n\n\nAlthough they all stem from the same idea, there are several \u201csriracha\u201d sauces: because the name and recipe aren\u2019t trademarked, many brands have created their own version\u2014Heinz, for example.\n\n\n\nBut the most famous is the one from \u201cHuy Fong Foods,\u201d recognizable by its iconic red bottle with a green cap (which makes it easy to control the pour of this fiery sauce). That\u2019s the one you\u2019ll most often find in supermarkets. The same brand also makes a delicious Sriracha mayo\n\n\n\nThe iconic bottles\n\n\n\nOrigins of Sriracha\n\n\n\nThe original recipe comes from Si Racha, a small coastal town on the Bay of Bangkok in Thailand. A resident, Thanom Chakkapak, is said to have developed it to season seafood.\n\n\n\nShe then marketed it, and the sauce became a genuine local hit. Deservedly so: it was designed to accompany all of Thai cuisine with a balance of sour, sweet, and salty. Its production method was meticulously calibrated to keep the flavors distinct\u2014a goal it achieves beautifully!\n\n\n\nA splash of Sriracha in the sauce for Weeping Tiger beef works wonders\n\n\n\nHowever, Thanom Chakkapak\u2019s sauce is quite different from the one we know today\u2026 The version that spread worldwide is credited to David Tran, a Vietnamese immigrant who arrived in the United States during the Vietnam War. He introduced several sauces to the market and, not finding a Sriracha, added one to his lineup\u2014with the success we know today.\n\n\n\nIt has a few differences from its Thai counterpart, notably texture\u2014it\u2019s much thicker.\n\n\n\nSriracha nutrition\n\n\n\nAlthough it offers many benefits thanks to capsaicin (a compound in chili peppers with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and even anticancer properties), Sriracha isn\u2019t exactly healthy.\n\n\n\nIt packs roughly twice the sodium of ketchup\u2014about 100 milligrams per teaspoon (versus 52)\u2014and about the same sugar (1 gram per teaspoon). A little spoonful here and there won\u2019t hurt, but it adds up fast!\n\n\n\nEven a nearly perfect dish like Pad Thai gets a lift from Sriracha\n\n\n\nHow to use Sriracha in cooking\n\n\n\nGenerally speaking, Sriracha is a Thai pantry essential. Serve it on the side by the teaspoon as a condiment, or use it as a dip. It pairs beautifully with fish, fried foods, seafood, and Pad Thai. \n\n\n\nIt adds punch to the sauce for these gorgeous cold noodles with peanut sauce\n\n\n\nFun fact: Sriracha is very popular with astronauts, who even bring it to the space station. Its bold heat suits the taste challenges of space travel (reduced sense of smell and nasal congestion, to name just two)!\n\n\n\nWhere to buy Sriracha?\n\n\n\nIf you want the luxury of choice, head to an Asian grocery store! Otherwise, you can find it in the Asian aisle of many large supermarkets.\n\n\n\nAnd if you\u2019d rather not make a trip, you can buy it here on Amazon.\n\n\n\nSriracha substitutes\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re not making it at home and don\u2019t want to buy a bottle, try these substitutes:\n\n\n\n\nSambal oelek\n\n\n\nPeri-peri sauce\n\n\n\nSweet chili sauce\n\n\n\nTabasco\n\n\n\nGochujang\n\n\n\n\nHomemade Sriracha recipe\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\tHomemade Sriracha Sauce\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t4 tablespoons honey1 tablespoon salt12 garlic cloves100 g chiles, seeded and finely sliced275 ml rice vinegar1 tablespoon light soy sauce\t\n\t\n\t\tPlace the peeled garlic cloves in a saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat. As soon as it boils, drain and rinse under cold running water.Repeat once more.Slice the garlic into very thin rounds and place in a saucepan with the chiles and rice vinegar.Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.Stir in the honey and salt. Mix well and let stand for 1 hour, then blend until smooth.Return the sauce to a boil and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes to reduce.Once cool, stir in the soy sauce. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tSauceTha\u00eflandaise","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110406"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110562,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110406\/revisions\/110562"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}