Ingredient of the Week: Sriracha

This week at la domestique is devoted to sriracha, the spicy Asian condiment that’s good on just about everything. Sriracha is a chile sauce that most of us know as “rooster sauce”, the ubiquitous red bottle with an electric green top found in diners, Asian restaurants, and trendy upscale joints across the U.S. It’s every man’s condiment. At $3 a bottle, sriracha sauce is affordable. Gourmands love this fiery chile sauce for its complex and balanced flavor. To call sriracha a hot sauce would be an understatement. It’s sweet, hot, pungent, and bright. Don’t be intimidated by the heat. Sriracha is addictive because the heat is intense without overwhelming the palate. In The New York Times, Chef Bryan Caswell from Reef Restaurant in Houston is quoted saying, “It burns your body, not your tongue.”

Fall is a fitting time to enjoy warming sriracha in soups and noodle dishes. I’m excited to cook in the moment with you, exploring the many uses for chile sauce from savory to sweet. We’ll also learn about Asian cuisine and the origins of sriracha, named for a town in Thailand. This week will change the way you see condiments. It will change the way you cook. Get ready to stimulate your senses.

Enjoy this illustration on sriracha from The Oatmeal

Have you tried sriracha? Tell me about the first time you ate sriracha in the comments section. Click here.

9 Comments

amanda minor on October 17, 2011 at 4:13 am

I’ve never tried it, but rather looked at it in fear(how hot is that stuff?!?!) looking forward to hearing your take on it. 🙂

Jess on October 17, 2011 at 9:13 am

Amanda, I think you could handle it. 🙂 Start with a small amount and go from there. The heat of sriracha warms your core in a good way without setting your whole mouth on fire(unless you dump a ton of it on your plate). I am not into super spicy foods, and I can tolerate it just fine.

Andrew on October 17, 2011 at 10:54 am

I love sriracha! I can’t wait to see what recipes you have in store for us.

Jess on October 17, 2011 at 10:56 am

Thanks for commenting, Andrew. I am super-excited about this week. It’s going to be awesome. 🙂

Kathryn | Dramatic Pancake on October 17, 2011 at 6:40 pm

Jess, I’m excited about this week, too! Love sriracha! I think my college roommate actually introduced it to me. I’m pretty sure I went through a phase junior year where I was slathering stir-fries with it just about every day 🙂

Jess on October 17, 2011 at 7:39 pm

Kathryn, thanks for chiming in!

Cristina, from BA to Paris on October 18, 2011 at 4:35 am

Where have I been all my life? I keep on discovering things thanks to your blog..
Thanks!

Jess on October 18, 2011 at 7:32 am

Thanks for reading, Cristina!

Cookie and Kate on October 23, 2011 at 6:51 pm

Mmm, I love sriracha! Cholula has been my hot sauce of choice lately but sriracha will forever be a favorite. 🙂

amanda minor on October 17, 2011 at 4:13 am

I’ve never tried it, but rather looked at it in fear(how hot is that stuff?!?!) looking forward to hearing your take on it. 🙂
- Jess on October 17, 2011 at 9:13 am
  
  Amanda, I think you could handle it. 🙂 Start with a small amount and go from there. The heat of sriracha warms your core in a good way without setting your whole mouth on fire(unless you dump a ton of it on your plate). I am not into super spicy foods, and I can tolerate it just fine.
Andrew on October 17, 2011 at 10:54 am

I love sriracha! I can’t wait to see what recipes you have in store for us.
- Jess on October 17, 2011 at 10:56 am
  
  Thanks for commenting, Andrew. I am super-excited about this week. It’s going to be awesome. 🙂
Kathryn | Dramatic Pancake on October 17, 2011 at 6:40 pm

Jess, I’m excited about this week, too! Love sriracha! I think my college roommate actually introduced it to me. I’m pretty sure I went through a phase junior year where I was slathering stir-fries with it just about every day 🙂
- Jess on October 17, 2011 at 7:39 pm
  
  Kathryn, thanks for chiming in!
Cristina, from BA to Paris on October 18, 2011 at 4:35 am

Where have I been all my life? I keep on discovering things thanks to your blog..
Thanks!
- Jess on October 18, 2011 at 7:32 am
  
  Thanks for reading, Cristina!
Cookie and Kate on October 23, 2011 at 6:51 pm

Mmm, I love sriracha! Cholula has been my hot sauce of choice lately but sriracha will forever be a favorite. 🙂