Weather conditions affecting the quality of chili peppers have forced California-based Huy Fong Foods to suspend sales and production of its famous sriracha sauce, the company has announced.
In an April 19 email that only recently made its rounds in the media, Huy Fong Foods informed customers that they are facing “a more severe shortage of chili” compared to a similar situation in July 2020. As a result, all orders placed on or after April 19 will be scheduled after Labor Day (Sept. 6) in the order they were received.
“Due to weather conditions affecting the quality of chili peppers, we now face a more severe shortage of chili,” the company said. “Unfortunately, this is out of our control, and without this essential ingredient, we are unable to produce any of our products.”
Huy Fong Foods currently sells three kinds of sauces: sriracha, which is created from sun-ripened chilies pureed into a smooth paste; chili garlic, a thick, “chunky-style” hot sauce with a hint of garlic; and sambal oelek, a “full-bodied” sauce with the pure taste of chilies.
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In the email, the company added that those who have not received a confirmation after making their purchase will have their orders on hold until September.
“We understand that this may cause issues. However, during this time we will not accept any new orders to be placed before September as we will not have enough inventory to fulfill your order,” the company said.
Chili peppers have thus joined the list of foods and products in shortage so far this year. Baby formula, for instance, has been scarce since November 2021 and hit a whopping 73% out-of-stock rate on May 22, as per data firm Datasembly.
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Whether Huy Fong Foods will succeed in weathering the chili shortage remains to be seen. In late 2013, the company faced a similar supply crisis over community health complaints that forced it to undergo a regulatory check.
For now, restaurants relying on sriracha are making the most of what they have. For one, Brady's Sushi and Hibachi in Richmond, Kentucky, said it may not offer sriracha as a free condiment and would give only one free Spicy Mayo for every two rolls.
Some Twitter users are just as worried.
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“Just found out there’s a sriracha shortage…WTF has the world come to?” one user wrote.
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FAQs
Huy Fong had to halt production entirely for a period last year, and not just on its sriracha; the company's popular Sambal Oelek was also affected. In 2023, the company is back to producing a small amount of its products, but it's nowhere near satisfying demand.
How do you survive the Sriracha shortage? ›
Try classics like Tabasco, Tapatio or Louisiana Hot Sauce. All of these have different ranges of spice. Tabasco, for example, begins at 2,500 on the Scoville scale and ranges up to 5,000 for different varieties of sauce. These three traditional condiments are a good way to add even more heat than Sriracha would bring.
Why did Sriracha get shut down? ›
Strained supplier relations coupled with adverse agricultural conditions have left Huy Fong Foods' sriracha out of stock at many grocers nationwide. Bottles of the hot sauce were going for as much as $52 on third-party sellers such as Amazon as of Thursday.
What Sriracha is similar to huy fong? ›
Some fans are saying that Underwood's sriracha blend tastes like the “old” Huy Fong — that is, the stuff that was made for most of its existence with peppers that came from Underwood. One Redditor praised the “spicy and nostalgic OG taste.”
What is the difference between sriracha and sambal oelek? ›
Sambal Oelek is a bit less processed than Sriracha. Sambal is thicker and contains less seasonings like garlic. Many hot sauce purists enjoy Sambal's pure chili flavor. Sambal Oelek has earned the respect of many chefs for it's pure flavor profile and made its way into many restaurant kitchens as a result.
Is sambal oelek the same as chili sauce? ›
"Sambal" is the Indonesian term for chili sauce, or a hot relish, and "oelek" refers to the crushing that happens of said sauce in a mortar and pestle—the traditional method for preparing this condiment.
Did Huy Fong change their recipe? ›
We spoke to Huy Fong Foods, the company behind the sauce. It turns out that there may be no "real Sriracha" after all. While it insisted in a statement that the recipe doesn't change, the company did say the taste may vary with every batch.
What is the closest thing to sriracha? ›
Melinda's Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
The closest to Sriracha is the tasty Thai Sweet Chili, but don't sleep on others, including the habanero honey mustard and black truffle hot sauce.
Why is sriracha so expensive? ›
“The main culprit here is a shortage of their primary ingredient, the red jalapeño chile pepper,” said David Ortega, a food economist and associate professor at Michigan State University. “And that's due to climate change and the mega drought.”
Who owns Huy Fong Foods? ›
2023 Billionaires Net Worth. David Tran is the founder and owner of Huy Fong Foods, the Irwindale, California-based company that makes Sriracha hot sauce. Tran arrived in the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam in 1979 and started selling hot sauce from a blue Chevy van in Los Angeles in February 1980.
Huy Fong Foods' chili sauces are made from fresh, red, jalapeño chili peppers and contain no added water or artificial colors. Garlic powder is used rather than fresh garlic. The company formerly used serrano peppers, but found them difficult to harvest.
Does sriracha expire? ›
Generally, an unopened bottle of sriracha can be safely stored in a cool, dark pantry for up to two years, but once opened, it is recommended to refrigerate the sauce to slow down the degradation process, which results in the sauce losing its vibrant red color, spiciness, and overall taste. Related: What Is Sriracha?
What is similar to Huy Fong chili paste? ›
The obvious choice: other sriracha brands
Big hot sauce companies, like Tabasco and Lee Kum Kee, also make their own versions of sriracha: The Tabasco sauce is thick and garlicky, with subtle sweetness that makes it taste the most similar to Huy Fong.
What sauce is hotter than Sriracha? ›
How Hot Is Sriracha?
| Hot Sauce | Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
|---|
| Tabasco | 3,750 |
| Cholula | 3,600 |
| Tapatio | 3,000 |
| Huy Fong Sriracha | 2,200 |
5 more rowsWhat is the difference between hot sauce and sriracha? Sriracha is the same as hot sauce. Hot sauce is a generic term, used to describe a wide range of sauces that combine chilli and other ingredients to give heat. While we all have our favourite hot sauces, there is no definitive 'hot sauce'.
Where is the sambal oelek? ›
Sambal oelek is available in most grocery stores in the Asian food section, right next to the sriracha. One tablespoon is roughly the equivalent of a chopped, small jalapeño.
What is a substitute for sambal oelek in chili flakes? ›
4. Hot Chilli Powder or Chilli Flakes. You can get the heat needed from Sambal Oelek with good old chilli powder or chilli flakes.
Is gochujang paste the same as sambal oelek? ›
Sambal Oelek – How Do They Compare? Gochujang is one of the beloved ingredients in Korean cooking and offers a distinctive taste. Sambal oelek is a traditional ingredient in Malaysian and Indonesian cooking that has been co-opted by Westerners as a spicier alternative to sriracha.
Can you replace sambal oelek with gochujang? ›
In that case, we'd suggest 0.5 tablespoon of sambal oelek + 0.25 tablespoon of miso paste + 0.25 tablespoon of maple syrup. 1:1 – substitute 1 tablespoon of gochujang for 1 tablespoon of sambal oelek (or see the note above to level it up).
