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Thread: Hot Sauce!

  1. #31
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    The looming Sriracha shortage

    Surely, this be one of the horsemen of the apocalypse.

    Sriracha shortage? Maker says CA holding up shipments
    The Associated Press
    15 hours ago


    LUCY NICHOLSON / REUTERS
    The maker of Sriracha hot chili sauce says it can't ship more of the sauce until mid-January because of California health department rules.

    LOS ANGELES — The Southern California-based maker of Sriracha says it can't ship any more of its popular hot sauces to food distributors until next month because the state Department of Public Health is now enforcing stricter guidelines.

    The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that Huy Fong Foods says the regulations require the sauces be held for 35 days before they are shipped.

    Suppliers are already worried about the effect on their businesses because they won't be able to restock until mid-January.

    The action is the company's second setback in recent weeks. It's being sued by the Los Angeles suburb of Irwindale for filling its air with eye-burning odors from its pepper-grinding sauce operation.

    Last month, a judge ordered Huy Fong to stop producing the odors until air-quality experts can determine how to mitigate them.

    Pepper grinding operations at the plant have concluded until next year.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  2. #32
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    Told ya it was a horseman of the apocalypse. The Srirachapocalypse!

    With the dry spell we've been having in California, we might have to ration water this year. Rationing water *and* Sriracha?! Times are tough.
    Srirachapocalypse: Local Store Is Rationing Rooster Sauce


    Photo by jewelee208 via Instagram

    Stop the chili paste presses: a Glendale market is limiting customers to one bottle of Sriracha each, just weeks after a judge ordered the company that makes the hot sauce to stop stinking up Irwindale.

    HK Market, a Korean specialty grocer on Pacific Avenue in Glendale, has jugs of the embattled rooster sauce priced at $3.99, but with a bold black and white sign proclaiming "Limt 1 ea."

    We called HK Market this morning and an employee said that the store is rationing Sriracha purchases because they're worried about running out, but wouldn't go into any further detail.

    Whether this will be a wider trend remains to be seen. But just to be safe, we're going to go to Vons now and buy every single bottle on the shelf.

    Sriracha maker Huy Fong Foods brews the beloved sweet-and-spicy chili paste at a factory in Irwindale. But after a chorus of local complaints that an overwhelming stench of fermenting chilis was ruining the neighborhood, a judge recently ordered the company to stop doing whatever it's doing that makes Irwindale smell bad.

    Huy Fong, which started in Chinatown in 1980, sold over $60 million worth of the hot **** sauce last year alone.
    Gene Ching
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  3. #33
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    Update on the Srirachapocalypse.

    I can still find Sriracha as a condiment in many of the restaurants around here. I haven't gone shopping for it though as I don't use it at home. Is there really a shortage now?
    Sriracha Factory Irritates Some California Noses, but Entices Politicians
    By IAN LOVETT MAY 13, 2014

    Politicians Enter Fight Over Hot Sauce

    Credit Emily Berl for The New York Times
    @UC_Newsroom

    IRWINDALE, Calif. — Until a few months ago, Sriracha was a mere hot sauce, offering a spicy kick to eggs, soup, grilled cheese or a Bloody Mary.

    But since this small, industrial city east of Los Angeles began taking legal action against the Sriracha factory here — responding to complaints from residents about the strong scent of chiles — this trendy hot sauce has turned from a culinary symbol into a political one for business leaders and Republicans who have long complained that California is hostile to industry.

    “Why do you hate me?” David Tran, whose company makes Sriracha, asked at the last City Council meeting here. “Why do you want to shut me down?”

    The Irwindale City Council could take a step toward doing just that on Wednesday, when it is scheduled to vote on whether to declare the Huy Fong Foods factory a public nuisance. The move, which would threaten the place where every bottle of Sriracha is made, follows a lawsuit the city filed last fall to try to force Mr. Tran to stop the smell from pervading local neighborhoods. A judge granted a preliminary injunction, but so far Mr. Tran has refused to take any action.

    “I work face to the chile for 34 years,” said Mr. Tran, 68, who emigrated from Vietnam in 1979 and started making Sriracha in 1980 in a tiny warehouse in downtown Los Angeles. Born in the year of the rooster in the Chinese zodiac, he stuck the bird on his bottle. “Why am I still here?” he said in an interview. “Maybe I should have died already.”

    To local residents, the problem with the Sriracha factory is one of overwhelming odors. When the factory is grinding chiles in the fall, the scent of red jalapeños — so sweet once bottled — blows through town like a malevolent wind. Residents say that the chile-laced air burns their eyes and noses, causes coughing fits, and forces them to take cover indoors.

    But the prospect that officials may force the closing of Huy Fong Foods, which produces about 20 million bottles of the sauce each year, has taken people by surprise. The 650,000-square-foot factory employs about 70 full-time workers and around 200 during chile season, when up to 40 truckloads of fresh peppers arrive each day from Ventura County, north of Los Angeles. The chiles are ground that same day, part of a round-the-clock operation.

    “We never thought it should get this far, frankly,” said Fred Galante, the Irwindale city attorney. “Since September, they really have not done a thing about it. We just wanted to avoid having the same problem come up again this year when they start grinding chiles again in August.”

    But this is an election year, and the matter has escalated, with politicians from other states descending on Irwindale to promise a more welcoming environment to Mr. Tran if he is willing to relocate. Republican candidates in California have also seized on the plight of the popular hot sauce.

    “Sriracha is a symbol of a much bigger and very unfortunate trend in California of businesses leaving and political leaders not seeming to care,” said Neel Kashkari, a moderate Republican running for governor this year against the Democratic incumbent, Gov. Jerry Brown. Mr. Kashkari added a button to his website that invites supporters to sign a petition to “Stand With Sriracha” (and to show their love of the sauce by donating $7 to his campaign).

    Mr. Tran said he did not plan to move the operation elsewhere, not only because of the cost of building a new factory, but because he would have to find a new supplier of chiles.

    “Other cities say, ‘Irwindale is not friendly, come to my city,’ ” he said. “Other states say, ‘California is not friendly, come to my state.’ Other countries say, ‘U.S.A. is not friendly, come back here.’ ”

    Mr. Tran sighed, adding, “I’m not sure why the U.S.A. lets local government do stupid things like this.”

    Despite the complaints from neighbors, Mr. Tran denied that the smell was a serious problem. He said that the factory was already equipped with air filters, and that he did not plan to make any changes until the city directed him in what to do. Mr. Galante, the city attorney, in turn, said Irwindale was “not in a position to tell them how to fix it.” He suggested that the company hire a consultant.

    Instead, Huy Fong Foods has begun offering tours of its $30 million factory, which opened in 2012, in an effort to establish that the fumes are mild and harmless.

    One neighbor, Lisa Cordero, 47, was out walking with a friend one night last fall when they both began coughing. Her friend asked if the fumes were toxic. “No, those are chiles,” said Ms. Cordero, who has asthma and recognizes the smell from her mother’s kitchen growing up. The two women cut their walk short.

    Ms. Cordero said she kept her French doors shut, even on hot days, for the duration of the grinding season. “If you opened the door, you could smell it,” she said. “I was gagging over here.”

    Recent Comments
    Flyer
    6 days ago
    I love this stuff! I hope something happens that will allow the maker of Saricha to continue his operations either in the existing plant or...

    Mike H
    6 days ago
    So GOP shouts on "States Rights!" and "Local Control!" from the rooftops, and then when a city shows a little local discretion in response...

    Gio
    6 days ago
    If (as noted in other comments) the complaints are coming from 4 or 6 households, the State should:- buy the homes- offer them to homeless...

    California officials have implored the company to remain here. And The Los Angeles Times ran an editorial last month, with the headline “For California’s sake, Irwindale needs to save its Sriracha plant,” that accused the city of intransigence.

    Democrats have defended the state as a good place to do business. Representative Tony Cárdenas, a Democrat from Los Angeles, offered up his own district if Mr. Tran decided to leave Irwindale.

    “People criticize Los Angeles and California for being too regulated, but I don’t think this is about regulations pushing Sriracha out,” Mr. Cárdenas said. “The issue is that certain elected officials are not willing to be fair and honest with the business owner.”

    Mr. Cárdenas is not the only one who has offered his district as a next destination for Sriracha. A coalition of Texas lawmakers arrived at the factory on Monday to make their case for expanding the business to Texas, if not relocating the entire operation. More Texas lawmakers are set to arrive next week.

    “Sriracha may not be welcome in California, but you’d be welcomed with open arms and eager taste buds in Texas,” Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, posted on Twitter (though he was not part of the Texas delegation in Irwindale).

    Mr. Tran acknowledges that the city has the power to shut him down, but he has not made any plans for what he might do if that happens.

    “He’s very frustrated,” said Donna Lam, the executive operations officer for Huy Fong Foods and Mr. Tran’s sister-in-law. “I think a lot of people just see this as what it is. For him it’s something deeper — in his mind, he believes that they’re not all real problems.”

    Mr. Tran seemed not to want to face the possibility of his factory’s closing.

    “What can I do?” Mr. Tran asked. “Next season, you can come, and you get an answer about how strong the smell is.”
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  4. #34
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    I see them at stores, and it doesn't SEEM like there's a shortage.

    I like it but only use it as a cooking ingredient. It's great that way. But if I use it as a condiment it makes my face itch for some reason.

  5. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    I can still find Sriracha as a condiment in many of the restaurants around here. I haven't gone shopping for it though as I don't use it at home. Is there really a shortage now?
    Haven't tried this yet, but looks reasonable.


    Thai Sriracha Sauce

    ¾ pound red jalepeno pepper, roughly chopped
    3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
    2 Tablespoons brown sugar
    1½ teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
    ⅓ cup distilled white vinegar

    Place jalapenos, garlic, sugar, and salt in bowl of a food processor (or you can use an immersion blender to mix). Mix until chillies are very finely chopped, almost a paste. Transfer mixture to a clean jar, cover, and let sit at room temperature. Check jar each day for fermentation. You can tell fermentation is happening when little bubbles start forming at bottom of jar, about 3-5 days. Stir contents each day, continuing to let ferment until chillies are no longer rising in volume, an additional 2-3 days.


    Then pour the chilli mixture to a blender, add in white vinegar, and puree until completely smooth, 1-3 minutes. Transfer to a mesh strainer and strain the mixture over a bowl, use a rubber spatula to push through as much pulp as possible, only seeded and larger pieces of chilies should remain in strainer. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sauce thickens and clings to a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate.

  6. #36
    Tons of rooster where I'm at. They still shut down? I never noticed any sort of decline in stock.

  7. #37
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    Busha Browne's Pukka Hot Pepper Sauce; w/ crushed scotch bonnet pepper is where it's at (Jamaican style.)

  8. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by Syn7 View Post
    Tons of rooster where I'm at. They still shut down? I never noticed any sort of decline in stock.
    I love me some cock sauce. Oh, wait, that didn't come out right. Bwaahahahahaha!!!

    Seriously though, I heard they were invited to move to Texas. I asked professor Google and found this.

    http://www.hngn.com/articles/29010/2...star-state.htm

    BTW, there's still plenty of the rooster where I live as well. Just to be safe I think I'll buy a few extra bottles next time I'm at the store.

    Edit: Just so y'all don't think I'm a total freak. This is the kind of cock sauce I'm talking about. Today's breakfast of champions. Spinach, egg, cheese on a whole wheat tortilla with some rooster to liven it up a little.

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    Last edited by GoldenBrain; 05-24-2014 at 09:30 AM.

  9. #39
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    I think any shortage would depend on where you live really. But I find in most areas I've lived, this is too hot for most to buy. Which is good for me, because this is bare minimum for anything that may even begin to trigger my heat receptors. I don't think there will be any major shortage, Americans are pussies when it comes to spicy food. Now if I could find a good local supply of dried but jolokia...

    I want to brew a ghost pepper and chocolate imperial stout....mmmm that will be delicious

  10. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by SoCo KungFu View Post
    I want to brew a ghost pepper and chocolate imperial stout....mmmm that will be delicious
    You've got balls that clank don't you? lol

    I like some hot sauce but I don't go any where near the ghost pepper. Brutal!!!

  11. #41
    My father makes pepper vodka. I can't remember which pepper he uses. All I remember is that it kicked me in the face and now I won't go near it. So nasty. I can handle some spice, but from what I gather, my tolerance is nowhere near SoCos. I like the flavour more than the heat. It can be a bit much sometimes. I mean, it's not that I can't handle it(to a point), I just find it takes away from my enjoyment of the food after a certain level.

  12. #42
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    nuisance suit dropped

    California city votes to end hot sauce dispute
    Associated Press
    8 hours ago

    IRWINDALE, California (AP) — The fiery fight is apparently over between the makers of a popular hot sauce and a small Southern California city that said its factory's smells were unbearable, after the Irwindale City Council voted to drop a public nuisance declaration and lawsuit against the makers of Sriracha hot sauce.

    The dual moves Wednesday night brought an effective end to the spicy-air dispute that had Sriracha devotees worried about future sauce shortages and had suitors including the state of Texas offering its producer, Huy Fong Foods, a friendlier home.

    The closed-session council vote was unanimous with one councilman abstaining due to a conflict of interest, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune (http://bit.ly/1tSfP9Z) reported.

    Residents and business leaders praised the vote that some called overdue.

    "Thank you so much for saving Irwindale because we were headed in the wrong direction," Irwindale Fred Barbosa, who lives in Irwindale, told the Tribune after the vote.

    Bob Machuca of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. said the resolution showed California is "open for business" and is "what we needed to do a long time ago."


    In this Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013, file photo, Sriracha chili sauce bottles are produced at the Huy Fong …

    The city of about 1,400 people had been at odds with the company, which recently moved its main operations there, after residents complained last year of spicy odors burned their throats and eyes.

    It wasn't immediately clear what prompted the council change its position, but the company had been asking the city for more time as it worked with regional air-quality officials on a plan to make the smell go away.

    But city officials met behind closed doors Tuesday with company CEO David Tran and representatives of Gov. Jerry Brown's Business and Economic Development Office. Afterward Mayor Mark Breceda said he would ask the council to end the fight.

    Tran, an immigrant from Vietnam whose company produces several chili sauces based on the flavors of his native country, said Tuesday that he installed stronger filters at the plant, and he's confident they will block fumes when the chili-grinding season begins in August.
    Meanwhile...
    Tabasco quietly releases its own sriracha hot sauce
    Published May 27, 2014
    FoxNews.com


    Will Tabasco's Sriracha out sell the original?Tabasco Country Store

    The sriracha industry is on fire --and is about to get hotter.

    Amid uncertainly about the future of sriracha hot sauce maker Hoy Fong Foods, family-owned McIlhenny Co., makers of Tabasco, quietly released its own version of the sweet and garlicky sauce.

    According to the Tabasco Country Store website, the new “Premium Sriracha Sauce is a masterful blend of spicy, sweet and savory flavors, that is authentic to South East Asian cuisine.” Tabasco’s new sauce is currently only available through the company’s official online store.

    So why release the hot product in secrecy?

    GrubStreet is predicting that this is just a test run, and product or packaging is likely to change before a national roll-out. A company statement said that the new product is only a “limited edition.”

    While the sriracha may be synonymous with Huy Fong Food and its signature green-capped bottle with the rooster label, the word sriracha can not be trademarked because it’s derived from Si Racha, the name of a city in Thailand, according to the L.A. Times. Trader Joe’s and several other companies have released similar sriracha sauces, but experts say McIlhenny Co. poses a real threat with their new product since their brand is a household name.

    “They know there’s going to be a sustainable demand and they’re gearing up for it, so they become the known brand,” says Darren Tristano, a food industry consultant with Technomic told Time.

    Tabasco Sriracha, at $4.99 for a 15 oz. bottle, its sauce is pricier than Hoy Fong’s that retails for under $3 for a 17 oz. bottle.
    I confess. I love tabasco. It's commonplace enough to find at just about any American diner, but still satisfying.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  13. #43
    Quote Originally Posted by GoldenBrain View Post
    Today's breakfast of champions. Spinach, egg, cheese on a whole wheat tortilla with some rooster to liven it up a little.

    lol, I didn't notice the first time I saw this pic that you just mashed in a hard boiled egg. lol. Interesting.

    I make that all the time(but scrambled egg), but I always make salsa, so I toss that in too. Nothin like fresh homemade salsa. You get that cilantro just right and.... wonderful. Maybe some fried potato if I have time. Good stuff.

  14. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by Syn7 View Post
    lol, I didn't notice the first time I saw this pic that you just mashed in a hard boiled egg. lol. Interesting.

    I make that all the time(but scrambled egg), but I always make salsa, so I toss that in too. Nothin like fresh homemade salsa. You get that cilantro just right and.... wonderful. Maybe some fried potato if I have time. Good stuff.
    Yep, once a week we boil a couple of dozen eggs for this, salads and other snacks. I used to slice them up real nice but somewhere along I just started smashing them up into the burrito. I like them scrambled also, but since we always have hard boiled eggs around it's just easier.

    You aint kidding about the homemade salsa. We are still trying to dial that one in. That's a real art. Maybe you could share your recipe with ratios.

    As my garden thread would indicate, I'm a nut for sweet potatoes. Have you ever fried them up like regular potatoes and used them in a breakfast burrito? YUMMY!!!

    That's awesome about the nuisance suit being dropped. It appears the rooster shall be around a little while longer.

  15. #45
    You know, I just kind of wing it every time and it's never exactly the same twice. I like to use salt to take the moisture out of the tomatoes. You don't get the watery crap at the bottom, taking all your herbs and lime with it. You pretty much throw in a lil kosher salt with the diced tomato in a strainer and let it sit for awhile. How much depends on your taste and how long you are willing to let it strain. Everyone finds their own happy lil equillibrium on their own. I try different herbs to see what it's like, but honestly, my fav is just tomato(I like to use romas), onion (maybe shallot as well or in stead), cilantro(fresh of course), squeeze in some lime, maybe dice some peppers if it's convenient.

    I don't think I have ever fried sweet potatoes. I love mashing them as a stand alone or in some casserole, sweet potato pie or whatever. Never tried the greens either. But I guess you just planted that seed, so... yeah.
    Last edited by Syn7; 05-29-2014 at 07:26 PM.

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