Can you believe that sriracha is still hot? I was writing about its global-flavor trendiness back in 2017. And here we are with the vibrant sauce still ruling the roost six years later. Particularly the iconic Huy Fong Foods brand with the rooster on the bottle.
In spite of spotty sriracha availability and high prices due to the ongoing chili pepper shortage, chefs who participated in the NRA’s 2023 What’s Hot Culinary Trends Forecast survey ranked sriracha variations in the top 10 culinary trends. So, we can safely say that the versatile spicy sauce is not just a fad. It has transitioned from niche player to “hipster ketchup.”
It seems fitting that the fiery condiment originated in Thailand, from the coastal city of Si Racha. But that’s not the rendition familiar to the American palate. The Thai version has more tang, is runnier and is mainly used as a seafood dipping sauce. The Huy Fong Foods brand familiar to us comes from David Tran, a Vietnamese refugee. He eventually ended up in California where he continued preparing the sauce he had been making in Vietnam when he was so abruptly uprooted.
You can take the versatility of sriracha from a couple angles. Interestingly, sriracha is a generic term. The name was never trademarked. Folks are free to come up with their own version and call it sriracha. But also, it can and is used across the menu from breakfast to the bar.
But it’s the blank spicy canvas aspect of sriracha that has chefs excited. What if you add lime for a refreshing kick? Or maybe a smoky twist with smoked paprika for a signature BBQ sauce? Maybe sweeten it up with honey or maple syrup and make a glaze for grilled meat, or even a zesty addition to a cheese platter.
Consider adding it to your ingredient mix to introduce a delightful surprise to your usual dishes. Saxby’s serves up Siracha and Chive Avo Toast. Bowls provide an excellent platform for combining flavors, creating the perfect home for sriracha, like Wildflower Bread Co.’s Sweet Potato and Greens Breakfast Bowl. That features sunny eggs over organic baby kale, spinach, roasted red onions, roasted red bell pepper, sriracha, goat cheese and pepitas. For a crazy Korean burger twist, the BGR Burgers Grilled Right chain did an LTO burger, which it billed as “Our legendary burger topped with Kimchi, cilantro, sriracha sauce and Korean BBQ.” TGI Friday’s also went with a Korean theme for its current Korean Fried Chicken Sliders on the appetizer menu. That is three sriracha marinated fried chicken sliders topped with sweet and salty sesame-honey soy sauce, guacamole and coleslaw.
If the perception of sriracha as “spicy ketchup” holds true, then a new realm of opportunities emerges on the horizon. With a dash or drizzle of creativity, you can create menu offerings that will intrigue and delight your customers. There’s still plenty of menu revolution to be had. (Sriracha grits anyone?)
Tell me what you think.
Jody
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