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Unless you have been living under a rock for decades…you know what sriracha is and how it tastes. The popularity of sriracha sauce is largely due to the sweet and spicy flavor along with the medium level of heat it offers. I have analyzed lot of hot sauces, but I would finally like to know…what is sriracha made of?
Sriracha is a popular type of hot sauce that originated in Thailand, not a brand name. It is made from a combination of chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt. The specific recipe may vary slightly between different brands, but these are the main ingredients commonly used to make sriracha sauce.
In fact, these are many of the same ingredients used in a lot of hot sauce recipes…so what makes sriracha so unique. In addition to the core ingredients, some variations of sriracha may include additional ingredients such as water, preservatives, and natural flavors but I am not convinced it is these ingredients that make sriracha so special either.
The chili peppers used in sriracha are typically red jalapeños or red Thai chili peppers, which give the sauce its distinctive heat and flavor
The chili peppers are typically ground into a paste, mixed with vinegar, and then combined with garlic, sugar, and salt. The mixture is then fermented for a period of time to develop its complex flavors. After fermentation, the sauce is typically blended to achieve a smooth consistency. The order of steps can be different depending on the brand of sriracha.
Ingredients in sriracha
Anyone can pick up a bottle of their favorite brand of sriracha and read the ingredient contents. Because a sriracha style hot sauce has a distinct flavor many brands will have similar ingredients.
It’s worth noting that there are several brands of sriracha available on the market, and each may have its own unique recipe and flavor profile. The most well-known brand of sriracha is Huy Fong Foods’ Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, which features a rooster logo on its iconic bottle. Overall, sriracha is a versatile condiment that adds a spicy kick and tangy flavor to a wide range of dishes, making it a popular choice for many spicy food enthusiasts. Read more here on Why Sriracha Became So Popular.
| ingredients in sriracha* |
|---|
| Chili – Red jalapeno peppers |
| Sugar – Granulated |
| Salt |
| Garlic |
| Distilled vinegar |
| Potassium sorbate |
| Sodium bisulfate |
| Xanthan gum |
Ingredients is sriracha by brand
Sriracha has become a popular flavor choice for many hot sauce consumers. Currently there are about 45 different brands available from different sources. Obviously each one having a slightly different flavor, but the review of ingredients shows some common ingredients: hot peppers, vinegar, sugar, garlic & salt.
| IMAGE | Brand | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
 | Yellowbird | · Organic red jalapeno · Organic distilled vinegar · Organic garlic · Organic dates · Organic raisins · Salt · Organic tangerine juice · Organic lime juice |
 | Underwood Ranches | · Red jalapeno Peppers · Sugar · Water · Salt · Acetic acid · Garlic · Natural flavors · Xanthan gum · Sodium metabisulfite · Potassium sorbate |
 | Pride O’ Thai | · Water · Jalapeno peppers · Sugar · Garlic puree · Modified starch · Acetic acid · Xanthan gum · Potassium sorbate · Potassium Benzoate · Citric acid · Hot pepper extract |
 | Kikkoman | · Chili peppers · Vinegar · Garlic · Sugar · Salt · Water · Natural flavors · Xanthan gum · Potassium sorbate · Sodium Benzoate |
 | Roland | · Salted red chili peppers · Water · Sugar · Salt · Garlic · Acetic acid · Xanthan gum · Citric acid · Potassium sorbate · Ascorbic acid |
 | MW Polar | · Water · Red chili · Sugar · Garlic · Salt · Xanthan gum · Modified corn starch · Acetic acid · Paprika oleoresin |
 | Shark Brand | · Chili · Water · Sugar · Garlic · Salt · Vinegar |
 | Trufflin  | · Fermented chili peppers · Garlic · Honey · Extra virgin olive oil · Distilled white vinegar · Xanthan gum · Citric acid |
 | Texas Pete’s  | · Chili · Sugar · Garlic · Salt · Vinegar · Potassium sorbate |
 | Melinda’s | · Red jalapeno peppers · White vinegar · Water · Sugar · Salt · Xanthan gum |
Order of ingredients on a nutritional label
The order of ingredients on any nutritional label will be listed in order by volume or weight. Which means the most prominent ingredient in most siracha style hot sauces is hot peppers or chilies. The exact quantity is usually unknown to the consumer and kept private under a Trade Secret agreement.
Why does sriracha taste so good?
Sriracha is known for its unique and delicious flavor profile, which is why many people find it so appealing. It has just the right amount of spiciness to attract a broad array of consumers and it is done with just a few simple ingredients. There are a few general reasons why sriracha tastes so good:
Spiciness
Sriracha has a moderate level of heat that comes from the chili peppers used in its preparation. The spiciness adds a pleasant kick to dishes and can enhance the overall flavor experience. The spiciness is not over the top like a ghost or reaper pepper which makes it more appealing to a wide array of consumers.
Tanginess
The vinegar used in sriracha, along with the aged jalapenos gives it a tangy and slightly acidic taste. This tanginess helps balance the heat and adds a refreshing element to the sauce.
Garlic
Garlic is a key ingredient in sriracha and contributes to its distinct flavor. The garlic provides a savory and aromatic quality that complements the spiciness and tanginess. Read more here on Using Garlic in a Hot Sauce.
Sweetness
Sriracha contains sugar, which adds a touch of sweetness to the sauce. This sweetness helps to balance out the heat and acidity, creating a well-rounded flavor profile. Sugar is a common ingredient in many hot sauces, not just sriracha, and compliments the flavor of a hot pepper well.
Umami
Umami is the savory taste often associated with ingredients like soy sauce and mushrooms. Sriracha’s combination of chili peppers, garlic, and other ingredients creates a complex umami flavor that adds depth and richness to dishes. Read more here on how to capture a umami flavor in a hot sauce.
The combination of these flavors, along with the right balance of heat, tanginess, sweetness, and umami, contributes to the overall deliciousness of sriracha. It can enhance the taste of various dishes, from Asian cuisine to burgers, noodles, and more.
Breakdown of ingredients
There are many variations of each type of ingredient used to make sriracha but there is also some similarity to the flavor and appearance among brands.
The source of the ingredients or where they come from can play a significant role in flavor
Hot peppers
Huy Fong uses red jalapeno peppers which means they are green jalapeno left on the plant to ripen further. This also influences the flavor of the pepper, making a red jalapeno slightly sweeter and hotter states cooksdream.com.
The chili peppers used in sriracha, such as red jalapeños or red Thai chili peppers, are typically harvested when they are fully ripe and then processed into a paste. The paste is then fermented for a period of time to develop the sauce’s complex flavors. The fermentation process helps enhance the flavors of the peppers, but it is different from the aging process used in some other hot sauces. The specific aging process can vary between different brands and styles of hot sauce, but it basically uses salt to keep the peppers from spoiling for long periods of time.
Sugar
Huy Fong Foods, the company behind the popular Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, uses granulated sugar in their sriracha recipe. Granulated sugar is a common type of sugar that is widely available and commonly used in food production. It provides sweetness to the sauce and helps balance out the spiciness and acidity of the other ingredients.
Salt
Sounds like saying the same things over and over again but salt is another common ingredient in most hot sauces. You actually have to go out of your way to find salt free or low sodium hot sauces. Salt can make or break a hot sauce recipe. Too little can keep from enhancing the mixed flavors and too much can simply taste bad. Read more on The Positive and Negative Effects of Salt in a Hot Sauce.
Garlic
Garlic is a common ingredient in many types of hot sauce especially many brands of sriracha. Garlic compliments many varieties of hot peppers including the red jalapeno used in sriracha. Garlic can either be fermented with the peppers or added after fermentation and will still have still have a prominent flavor in the sauce.
Vinegar
Huy Fong Foods uses distilled white vinegar in their Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. Distilled vinegar is a clear, colorless vinegar that is made through a fermentation process. It has a mild and tangy flavor that adds acidity to the sriracha sauce. The use of distilled vinegar helps to balance the heat and other flavors in the sauce, contributing to its distinctive taste.
Preservatives
Many brands of sriracha (and many brands of other hot sauces) contain preservatives to help increase the shelf life despite using a fermentation process, which also help preservation. Read all of our articles on Preservng Hot Sauce here.
Potassium sorbate
In addition to using distilled vinegar, Huy Fong Sriracha also includes potassium sorbate and sodium bisulfite as preservatives in their sauce. These preservatives help to extend the shelf life of the product and maintain its quality over time. Potassium sorbate is a common food preservative that inhibits the growth of molds, yeasts, and some bacteria. It is often used in acidic foods like sauces and condiments.
Sodium bisulfate
Sodium bisulfite is another preservative commonly used in food products. It helps prevent the growth of bacteria and acts as an antioxidant to maintain the color and flavor of the sauce. These preservatives are added to ensure the longevity and safety of the sriracha sauce, allowing it to be stored for an extended period without compromising its taste or quality.
Sodium bisulfate is a common preservative in many brands of hot sauce. Read more about the 12 Standard Hot Sauce Preservatives and how they are used in a hot sauce recipe.
Breakdown of process
Aside from the ingredients in sriracha, the process also affects what it tastes like and why it tastes so good. This is also true for many other types of hot sauces.
There are 4 steps involved with the process of making a sriracha hot sauce: 1) Sourcing and preparing the chili peppers, 2) fermentation, Mixing and cooking, & 3) Bottling and Packaging.
Huy Fong Sriracha is a popular brand of hot sauce known for its distinctive flavor and bright red color. The process of making Huy Fong Sriracha involves several steps and is probably slightly different for each brand.
Sourcing and Preparing the Chili Peppers
Huy Fong Sriracha is made primarily from red jalapeno peppers. These peppers are sourced from local farms and carefully selected for their quality. Some brands of sriracha purchase red jalapeno peppers in “mash” form that have already been fermented. This is common practice in the food industry and can eliminate a big step in processing without comprising flavor and quality. The peppers are then washed and ground into a paste.
Fermentation
After grinding, the chili pepper paste is mixed with salt and allowed to ferment in large containers for several days. This fermentation process helps develop the complex flavors and aroma of the sauce. Fermentation is the most important step in the way a sriracha sauce tastes,
Mixing and Cooking
Once the fermentation is complete, the chili pepper paste is mixed with other ingredients, including vinegar, garlic, sugar, and various spices. The mixture is then cooked at high temperatures to ensure food safety and to enhance the flavors. This is another step that can be particular to the texture, consistency and flavor of a sriracha sauce. Read more here on How To Pasteurize a Hot Sauce.
Bottling and Packaging
After cooking, the Sriracha sauce is carefully bottled and labeled. Huy Fong Sriracha is known for its iconic clear plastic bottles with green caps and the distinctive rooster logo.
It’s important to note that the exact details of Huy Fong Sriracha’s process may be proprietary and not publicly disclosed. However, the general steps mentioned above provide an overview of the typical process involved in making this popular hot sauce.
Secrets of processing
Sriracha by Huy Fong foods is made with a fermented red jalapeno pepper. It is the fermenting process that gives sriracha its unique flavor profile. Many hot sauces are fermented but any slight difference in the brine solution, containers used, or length of the fermentation process can make a difference in how the sauce tastes.
