What is Sriracha?

Perhaps you've arrived at this article because you have a recipe calling for 'sriracha' and you're not quite sure what it is. Or perhaps you use this spicy condiment all the time but you're wondering just what it's made from and where it originated.

Either way, you'll find the answer here!

Authentic sriracha sauce - also known as 'rooster sauce' thanks to the rooster design on its famous bottle - is made in California by the Huy Fong Foods company. If you're a fan of this bright red sauce, you won't be surprised to discover that the company produces an incredible 20 million bottles every year.

What's in sriracha?

There are lots of copycat versions but they don't all taste as good as the original! The exact recipe is - of course - a secret, but the sauce is essentially a  mixture of red jalapeños peppers and vinegar with added seasonings, sugar, garlic and preservatives.

One of the reasons sriracha is so popular is that it is not eye-wateringly hot! The heat is chillies is measured using the Scoville scale and whereas the much more fiery Tabasco sauce has a measurement of 3,750, sriracha sauce measures just 2,200. This gives it a far wider appeal.

Ways to use sriracha

Whilst sriracha makes a tasty topping for just about anything, there are a few great ways to use it that you might not have considered!

• Mix it with mayonnaise - this creates a deliciously creamy spread that goes great in burgers, as a dip for crispy chicken strips and lots more!

• Add to cream cheese or sour cream - this makes the perfect dip with a kick!

• Use sriracha to add heat to your mac and cheese

• Spice up your stews or add it to soups

• Stir sriracha into marinades or add it directly to meatloaf, meatballs or homemade burger patties

• Make your scrambled eggs even more eggs-citing (sorry!) with a dash of sriracha

• Use it to add fire to a Bloody Mary

• Mix it with melted garlic butter and spread on to a toasted baguette for extra tasty garlic bread

How to store sriracha

We find that a bottle of this deliciously fiery sauce doesn't tend to hang around for long! But in the meantime, just where should you keep it once it's opened?

The answer is simple - it needs to be kept somewhere dry and cool.

But it doesn't have to be stored in the refrigerator.

That's because the chillies and vinegar it contains act as natural preservatives, protecting your sauce from the growth of bacteria and keeping it both safe to eat and tasting good.

If you take a long time to get through a bottle of sriracha, however, then you might want to consider keeping it refrigerated once you've opened it.

This is purely to keep the color vivid and red.

Whilst the sauce won't spoil if it's left unrefrigerated, the color of the chillies is likely to darken, turning the sauce an unappealing brown color!