Sometimes our assumptions leave others confused… like last week when I used Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce in a recipe and thought everyone was familiar with the spicy condiment.

Wrong… and Mama apologies for being so foodie presumptuous. How snobby.

Here’s the download on the question: What is Sriracha (and why you really should try i).

Though it’s been around since the early ‘80s, Sriracha sauce has only recently become the darling of chefs (Bon Appétit named it ingredient of the year in 2010). Sriracha is turning up everywhere: in popcorn, salt, potato chips… even in cocktails!

Sriracha is made with chili, sugar, salt, garlic and distilled vinegar. It also contains potassium sorbate (preservative), sodium sulfite (to preserve the bright red color) and xanthan gum (thickener).

The chilies and garlic give it a fuller, more balanced flavor than say, Tabasco or other similar hot sauces. On the Scoville Scale (used to measure the heat of a chili pepper), Sriracha ranks between 1,000 and 2,500. That’s above a banana pepper, but below a jalapeño pepper. The hottest chili, a ghost pepper, ranks 855,000.

You’ll find Sriracha in the ethnic section of many supermarkets or in Asian or Latino markets. You can also order it online here.

Oh, and one other thing… contrary to popular belief, Sriracha sauce doesn’t come from Asia. It was invented in Los Angeles and is made in the United States. The distinctive plastic squeeze bottle with bright green cap is labeled in five languages (English, Vietnamese, Chinese, French and Spanish), which is probably where the confusion originated.

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