The Great Sriracha Disasta 2022

[Margaret Pilgrim]

14 hours ago, heidih said:

I reported what I observed.

 

We could ask for no more here on eG.   Or elsewhere..

Edited June 11, 2022 by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

16 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Sriracha is virtually unknown in China. None of my friends know what it is...

I am reminded of the sweet  man who sat next to me on a bus in Crete.   He told me his brother had emigrated to the United States and wondered if I'd met him.

 

[liuzhou]

13 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

I am reminded of the sweet  man who sat next to me on a bus in Crete.   He told me his brother had emigrated to the United States and wondered if I'd met him.

 

 

That is remarkably common. I've come across it many places. 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

10 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

That is remarkably common. I've come across it many places. 

Indeed. It's natural to think one's sampling is representative.

[weinoo]

Well, the two or three stores I stopped by in Chinatown this past few days had so much Sriracha, from the phony American stuff to various brands from Southeast Asia, that I don't think the shortage is too worrisome, at least not here in NYC.

 

Maybe they're just trying to unload all their inventory?

[blue_dolphin]

8 minutes ago, weinoo said:

Well, the two or three stores I stopped by in Chinatown this past few days had so much Sriracha, from the phony American stuff to various brands from Southeast Asia, that I don't think the shortage is too worrisome, at least not here in NYC.

 

Maybe they're just trying to unload all their inventory?

 

I wouldn't put it past them.  My Aldi has been carrying it for the last few months.  They usually offer only their house brands unless they got some kind of a deal on a name brand. 

[DesertTinker]

Fully stocked (front to back & stacked where possible) in Yucca Valley, and this is the store that gets a lot of the Joshua Tree National Park visitors on supply runs.

[chromedome]

7 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

That is remarkably common. I've come across it many places. 

Here in Canada, I've had Newfoundlanders ask me in all seriousness, "Oh, you're from the mainland? Maybe you know my cousin Phil, he moved over there." I was from Nova Scotia, and Phil turned out to work in Fort McMurray, some 4000-odd km away, but hey...it's all the mainland.

[AAQuesada]

Just remember that just because you see it in the store doesn't mean it's not a real issue. There will be a supply already in the pipeline and Huy Fong has some banked to service preferred accounts, but they really aren't making any more until they get more chilies. Who knows how long that pipeline will last, maybe it won't be a problem in the long run.

 

I like underwood family farms too and was disappointed how that shook out. normally I make my own anyway, but I should buy my red chilies from them They come to my local Sunday market -now i'm curious what chilies were actually used anyway. Fresno's are normally easier to get so that's what i use.

 

 

[heidih]

I see from above many make their own version. In response to concerns regarding the temporary shortage the Los Angeles Times re-published a recipe from 2013:

1 pound mixed fresh red chiles (such as red Fresnos or jalapeños), stemmed and chopped

2 to 4 cloves garlic

1/4 cup cane or rice vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, more if desired

2 tablespoons palm or light brown sugar, more if desired

 

They have you blend in food processor, simmer for 5 minuts, strain, adjust seasoning, and let sit a few days before using.

[AAQuesada]

I've had a heck of a time finding red chiles -not even Northgate Gonzalez had them! Underwood lists them online but they didn't bring them to the Brentwood farmers market. 

 

I even found chile de Agua from Oaxaca which is pretty rare but no red Fresno or Jalapeños 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

On 6/11/2022 at 10:43 PM, AAQuesada said:

Just remember that just because you see it in the store doesn't mean it's not a real issue. There will be a supply already in the pipeline and Huy Fong has some banked to service preferred accounts, but they really aren't making any more until they get more chilies. Who knows how long that pipeline will last, maybe it won't be a problem in the long run.

 

I like underwood family farms too and was disappointed how that shook out. normally I make my own anyway, but I should buy my red chilies from them They come to my local Sunday market -now i'm curious what chilies were actually used anyway. Fresno's are normally easier to get so that's what i use.

 

 

Good points.    It's not like the concept of supply chain issues is outside our ken at this point!

[blue_dolphin]

1 minute ago, AAQuesada said:

I've had a heck of a time finding red chiles -not even Northgate Gonzalez had them! Underwood lists them online but they didn't bring them to the Brentwood farmers market. 

 

I even found chile de Agua from Oaxaca which is pretty rare but no red Fresno or Jalapeños 

If you have one nearby, I've found Gelson's to reliably stock red Fresno chiles.  No bargain, but they're usually there.  It's too early in the season for locally grown Underwood chiles to be in the markets. 

[AAQuesada]

So I went to H Mart and picked up some red Holland chilies and Fresno's two days ago. Pretty expensive but I got them. Lol now today they appeared again at my local Ralph's Fresh fare 🤦🤷‍♂️ 

 

So I have some fermenting for sriacha, others processed for harissa and froze the extra in case of another red chile shortage!

[AAQuesada]

No filter! Love the color 

 

 

[liuzhou]

I think that the main difficulty in in recreating Sriracha as made in Sriracha is quite simply that  the chillies they use are not the ones found in America.

Yes of course, chillies are native to the Americas but, around the world, there are now 100s of different cultivars with different flavours as well as heat levels. When I read the article linked to in the first post I was sort of amused at the list of chillies they are short of. I'm fairly sure they are totally unavailable in Sriracha, but they manage just fine.

[KennethT]

8 hours ago, liuzhou said:

I think that the main difficulty in in recreating Sriracha as made in Sriracha is quite simply that  the chillies they use are not the ones found in America.

Yes of course, chillies are native to the Americas but, around the world, there are now 100s of different cultivars with different flavours as well as heat levels. When I read the article linked to in the first post I was sort of amused at the list of chillies they are short of. I'm fairly sure they are totally unavailable in Sriracha, but they manage just fine.

I think this is a problem with lots of things.  Indonesian food barely exists here in NY (and probably even less nationwide) - it's really difficult when a cuisine uses a varied array of sambal, and an even more varied array of chillies to create those sambal!

[heidih]

Huy Fong still on front page re shortages of peppers. Blaming dought in Mexico where they source chiles. It notes that large swaths of Mexico receive water from the Colorado River, but U.S. farms have first rights. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-06-26/sriracha-shortage-climate-change-mexico-drought?utm_id=102848&sfmc_id=2473370  Speaking only from  my observations at my closest store Ralphs (Kroger) - I have not seen it in months though  there are sometimes botttles of other brands. Last time I purchased couple weeks ago it was only Ox Brand, product of Thailand

 

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

59 minutes ago, heidih said:

Huy Fong still on front page re shortages of peppers. Blaming dought in Mexico where they source chiles.

 

As mentioned in that LATimes article that @heidih linked, Huy Fong used to get all their red peppers for Sriracha from Underwood Farms here in Ventura county.  They had an interesting exclusive contract that required Huy Fong to use their peppers and prohibited Underwood from selling them to anyone else.  Worked well until Huy Fong decided they wanted to grow their own and tried to hire Underwood's farm manger to run the operation.  Fingerpointing and lawsuits (won by Underwood) all around.  Now Huy Fong is sourcing peppers elsewhere and Underwood is making and selling their own Sriracha at their farmstand!

[FeChef]

I just recently noticed this brand was missing from every grocery store and asian market in my area. Didn't know this was going on for a year now.

[lindag]

Bought some Peri Peri sauce recently and used it in place of the Rooster that I had on hand.  Very good.

Now, if only I could remember which one I bought.

[johnnyd]

22 hours ago, lindag said:

Bought some Peri Peri sauce recently and used it in place of the Rooster that I had on hand.  Very good.

Now, if only I could remember which one I bought.

 

"Nandos" peri peri is from South Africa that I see in the States sometimes.

 

Weighing in with my recent purchase, from my Korean grocer, which he highly recommended. It's pretty damned good!

 

 

[weinoo]

15 hours ago, johnnyd said:

 

"Nandos" peri peri is from South Africa that I see in the States sometimes.

 

Weighing in with my recent purchase, from my Korean grocer, which he highly recommended. It's pretty damned good!

 

 

 

Yes - same one I sometimes use...

 

 

Good stuff.