Posted on 06/28/2021 6:25:09 AM PDT by mylife
The Sriracha story traces back to the 1930s.
In a Thai town called Sri Racha, a housewife named Thanom Chakkapak created a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt.
Variations of this recipe have travelled across the globes in the decades since.
2/ One variation was created by David Tran, a major in the South Vietnamese army.
In 1978, the Tran family joined 3k+ refugees and fled Communist Vietnam on a Taiwanese boat called the Huey Fong (means "Gathering Prosperity”). The boat inspired the business name Huy Fong Foods. Image 3/ Tran landed in the US and ended up in LA.
At the time, Sriracha was absent from California. So Tran brought his recipe, swapping out chilis for a local ingredient: jalapeños.
He filled recycled baby jars and sold product out of a Blue Chevy Van, making $2.3k the first month. Image 4/ To really make the product stand out, Tran slapped a Rooster logo on everything he sold.
Why? He was born in 1945: The Year of the Rooster.
He would later design the famous squeeze bottle and added a green cap as a sign of "freshness". Image 5/ The sauce's popularity took off in the early-1980s among Asian restaurants and grocers. He kept upgrading manufacturing to meet demand:
7/ With so few ingredients, Tran prioritizes the best ones to win the market.
Timing fresh jalapeños is tough: the ripening window (green to red) leaves no room for error.
Due to the harvesting seasons, Huy Fong may make a whole year's supply of Sriracha in a 10-week span. Image 8/ For 28 years, Huy Fong was able to maintain its exacting quality standards with one exclusive jalapeño supplier.
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“Love the stuff.”
I have used it almost every day for the last 30 years. When I went on business trips from FL to CA I would bring 4-5 bottles back in my luggage. Great stuff. Makes just about everything taste better.
in the 1980s, I remember visiting a newly opened Vietnamese restaurant in Arlington VA called “Pho 75.” The owner was a South Vietnamese officer who opened it in a former bowling alley, with picnic tables. He hung pix of himself in his South Vietnamese Army uniform.
I asked him “why is it named pho 75?” He said “We sell Pho, and 75 is the year we lost our country to Communists.”
Now he and his children have expanded it to a chain of restaurants.
I use it on everything. Try it on a cheeseburger sometime. Delicious.
I judge Vietnamese restaurants by the presence of bottles of Huy Fong Siracha on each table with added points for hoisin sauce and garlic chili paste. My kitchen armada of spicy seasonings has Huy Fong Siracha at the top of the list closely followed by their garlic chili paste.
Notice the disparity in prices.
Love the stuff.
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Me too. Which reminds me. I need to buy another bottle.
What a great American success story! In Commiefornia no less!
The Vietnamese have been very successful in the seafood industry on the Mississippi Coast. Must admit its a bit strange to converse with a Vietnamese with a deep southern accent.
I will bet he also practiced a very wise smart business protocol very few practice anymore. Self minimalism, rather than spend far too much on his self, he invested all that he did not absolutely need back into the business.
There was another man who did the same and because of this self minimalism grew the company to be huge.
Sam Walton...
https://arungreesma.weebly.com/uploads/1/7/2/6/17268232/sam_walton-made_in_america.pdf
I enjoy it, because I can enjoy a hot, peppery flavor without my stomach lining punishing me for it later that day. No scalding or razor blade sensations that come if I eat actual chopped jalepenos. Have to remember, I’m from Michigan, not Mexico.
It appears our mutual first encounter w/Sriracha occurred about the same time. The company I worked for then hired a couple of fellows from Thailand who introduced the rest of us to spicy Asian foods, including Sriracha being good for everything. My personal favorite is to give a kick to fried rice.
Love Sriracha on mac and cheese!
Despite my loss of sense of smell due to an injury, my two favorite flavor profiles are Cholula Chipotle and Sriracha. I like to make a fake aioli with either hot sauce and Hellmans mayo. Great on burgers.
Great story!
I worked at a country club for about 10 years where most of the dishwashers and waiters were from S America. They would always bring in the salsa their wives would make. When one of them would bring me my food they’d always include a side of salsa. I got used to eating it on everything. Since I haven’t worked there in many, many years I use The Sriracha on everything now. lol
I hear you about the rice noodles!
mmmm mmmm mmmm
Biden wants to put an end to private businesses like this.
does hillary have siracha in her purse?
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