The Sriracha Cookbook Blog

Talking Sriracha on KCRW’s “Good Food” with Evan Kleiman

It was an absolute thrill and honor to be on “Good Food”, a most excellent radio show that focuses on… you guessed it… food! I’ve long been a listener of the program, and when host Evan Kleiman and producer Gillian Ferguson invited me on to discuss the two Sriracha cookbooks and the L.A. Sriracha Festival, I was nothing short of elated.

I cover: proper pronunciation, differences between Thai Sriracha and American Sriracha, some of my favorite things to cook with Sriracha, a little history behind the books, and of course, more info on the L.A. Sriracha Festival. (Huy Fong Foods’ founder and Sriracha creator David Tran will be there!)

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David Tran, creator of Huy Fong Foods Sriracha.

The man behind the almighty rooster sauce stands in front of what I wish was my pantry. Businessweek writer Caleb Hannan got a rare glimpse into the story of Huy Fong Foods and the family behind it, while examining the cult status that surrounds their Sriracha. (And hey, look at that! I’m even quoted in the article!)

Their success continues because of an unrelenting focus on quality and word of mouth alone. Huy Fong Foods has never advertised, has no official Facebook page or Twitter account, and their website hasn’t been updated since May 2004.

ALL HAIL DAVID TRAN.

Read on for a fascinating look behind the curtain:
Sriracha Hot Sauce Catches Fire, Yet ‘There’s Only One Rooster’ - via Bloomberg Businessweek

[Photograph by Nathanael Turner / Businessweek]

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Radio Interview: “Why are Americans so smitten with Sriracha?”

After the recent release of the new Lay’s Sriracha-flavored potato chips, a producer from Los Angeles-based public radio station KPCC reached out to see if I’d be available to come on their “Take Two” program to discuss Sriracha’s popularity and all the little Sriracha-themed products popping up in its wake. Naturally, I was honored to chat with them about my favorite subject: the almighty rooster sauce!

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Interview: Counterfeit Sriracha?

Big thanks to Rico Gagliano of “The Dinner Party” for taking the time to interview me about counterfeit Sriracha, after a recent post on Food Republic brought attention to a bottle trying wayyyyy too hard to look like the Huy Fong Foods “rooster sauce” bottle.

Had a great time tasting different brands, and explaining the differences between Sriracha here in the US and in Thailand.

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Listen in:

You can also download the entire episode, or get the podcast on your Apple device here. (I’m on around the 25:40 mark)

Per “The Dinner Party”:

It’s hard to escape the red plastic bottle with a rooster on it; Sriracha is now a staple of cool-kid eateries everywhere. In fact, the condiment is so popular that imitators are springing up…in a bad way: the blog “Food Republic” reported they’d received a box of counterfeit Sriracha. To learn about why the sauce is so hot (in every sense of the word), Rico caught up with Randy Clemens, author of The Sriracha Cookbook. Turns out, there’s never been just one ‘sriracha.’

(Photograph via EatDrinkNBeMerry)

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