Sriracha Sauce Craze Brings Bold Thai Flavours to The World

It’s everywhere the fiery chili paste concocted by Vietnamese-American immigrant David Tran has conquered the worlds food market but the original Sriracha is actually Thai.

Everyone has heard of the delicious, spicy hot sauce sriracha – it can be found in kitchens the world over, is featured in thousands of recipes and is even available as a key chain. However, few people know of its humble origins in the coastal Thai town of Sriracha, in Chonburi province.

The origin of “Sriraja Panich” – The Taste of the Original

The original sriracha sauce was created 80 years ago in Trok Laem Fan, Sriracha District, Chonburi Province, by Ms. Thanom Chakkapak. She initially made it for her family to enjoy as a cocktail sauce with seafood and named it ‘Sriraja Panich’. Her family and friends loved its unique flavor and encouraged her to take it commercial, and it became very successful throughout Thailand. In 1984, Ms. Chakkapak sold the company to Thai Theparos Food Products, a major food company in Thailand who also produce the famous Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce.

That’s the origin of Sriraja Panich – the first producer of Sriracha chili sauce which has been so popular among locals and tourists that it became well-known products of Sriracha District.

Subsequently, in 1984, THAITHEPAROS PLC. bought the company. Since then, Sriraja Panich has been sold throughout the country and exported to more than 50 countries around the world. Today, the company has successfully maintained the quality standards and the original taste of Sriraja Panich.

The Secret of Spicy Recipes

Sriraja Panich, the original Sriracha chili sauce, has continously placed great emphasis on premium ingredients including goat peppers (must be red, equally sized, and have glossy and smooth skin), Thai garlic (7-day pickled garlics), sugar, vinegar and sea salt. All of these ingredients will pass meticulous manufacturing process from Thai wisdom passed down from generation to generation. The carefully selected chili is aged for at least three months in order to bring out the chili’s natural flavor before being mixed with other ingredients to achieve its unique taste.

The original Thai version is made with garlic, vinegar, sugar, salt and prik chee faa chilli which is fermented in casks for at least three months before being bottled. American sriracha uses the same sugar, salt, garlic and distilled vinegar but uses red jalapenos. It is hotter and thicker than the original Thai version and also less sweet and garlicky.

The Taste of the Original

Sriraja Panich boasts the taste of the original which features a harmonious blend of “spiciness, sourness, saltiness and sweetness”. The sauce is perfectly thick and offers unique aroma. More importantly, you can feel the taste of real chili as all of Sriraja Panich’s manufacturing processes are done without the use of artificial colors, preservatives, MSG or flour.

With Sriracha being a port, Sriraja Panich was originally enjoyed with lots of fresh seafood, almost like a shrimp cocktail sauce. The flavor cuts the richness of fried food but goes with grilled and boiled seafood too. It is rarely ever used merely to add heat to a dish. It is still used almost exclusively as a dipping sauce for meats, although Thai people also eat Sriraja Panich with rice and Thai omelet ‘kai jeow’.

Sriracha has quickly become a cult fad and household staple and only seems to be growing from here.

So, if you’re new to the Sriracha game, why not run out and grab a bottle and see what all the fuss is about?

And if you’re an old pro, tell us which brand is your favorite and why!