Meet The Guy Behind The Spicy Rooster Sauce You Love So Much
Americans are likely to immediately associate Sriracha sauce with the Huy Fong Foods version.
Few food products have been met with such a frenzy — and have stood the test of time — quite like Sriracha. Since exploding onto the U.S. culinary scene just over a half decade ago, the "rooster sauce," as it's commonly known, has become a household pantry and restaurant kitchen staple. It was named the Ingredient of the Year by Bon Appétit, featured as the subject of a documentary film, triggered multiple lawsuits and sold more than 20 million bottles in a recent calendar year. It's even been the target of various "fake" knockoff products. One of our editors had bottles of it painted on her nails recently. Frenzy, indeed.
So, what exactly is Sriracha sauce and how did the phenomenon all begin? "Sriracha" refers to any type of hot sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt and originated in the coastal city of Si Racha in eastern Thailand. It's worth noting that there are many, many different brands of Sriracha on the market and that the one we all commonly associate with the sauce is Huy Fong Foods' version. Yes, this is the iconic "cock sauce" bottle with the green cap you've been thinking about the entire time. But who started this company and how was he able to achieve commercial success? Hypebeast goes behind the scenes with Huy Fong Foods CEO and founder David Tran to learn about his company's beginnings and processes.
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