Thursday, March 3, 2011

Red Rooster Sauce of Death

And now for a lighter post, let's talk deliciousness -

Sriracha.

Sriracha, you say?  What the heck is sriracha?  Perhaps you know it better as rooster sauce, or cock sauce (not that kind of cock sauce!) because of the picture on the bottle:
Actually, if you didn't recognize the name "sriracha," there is a good possibility you know this sauce as the "red rooster sauce of death."  In fact, I'm pretty sure that's what the Thai writing on the side of the bottle says.

I'm a huge fan of spicy foods, and something that goes hand-in-hand with spicy foods is hot sauce.  Needless to say, my cabinet overrunneth with hot sauces of all varieties and ethnicities.  I have a few favorites, but for the overall combination of taste, heat, versatility, and cost, Huy Fong Foods Sriracha could be considered #1.

Sriracha is named for the coastal city of (wait for it) Si Racha, in central Thailand. It is a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt (I'm sure there is some kind of addictive drug in there, but it's not listed on the label).  In Thailand, it is commonly used for a dipping sauce, usually with seafood, and it is often used to accompany Vietnamese pho.

I first noticed this badboy awhile ago when I was served sushi topped with it.  I noticed the slow burn it imparted, which impressed me because I'm used to hot foods, so something has to be pretty spicy to catch my attention.  I saw the bottle at the sushi station, mentally cataloged it, and just so happened to run into it at the international food store a few days later.  It came in two sizes - 17 oz. for $2.49, or 28 oz. for $2.99.  Eleven more ounces for only 50 cents???  What a deal!!!  So, of course, I got the big bottle, and now I put it on an alarmingly wide variety of foods.  Naturally, I sprinkle it on most Asian foods I make (especially stir fry!), and, since hot sauces go so well with eggs, that's a perfect fit.  I also put it on salads - it turns thousand island dressing from OK to *FANTASTIC*!  I've used it to marinate (one hell of a spicy) chicken breast, dip cheese sticks, onion rings, and french fries in it, and to add a kick to my buffalo wings and chili.  It's also a great diet aid, because it only has 5 calories per teaspoon.  What's up now, butter?  I've found a new topping for steamed veggies, too!

In case you don't believe me

So really, if you like any kind of spicy food at all, go and get a bottle of this.  It might be a little more expensive in your local supermarket (I'm pretty sure the international food store near me makes no profit whatsoever), but it is totally worth it!  If you have any good recipes (or unusual foods to pair with it!), let me know!

23 comments:

  1. After years of searching I finally found this stuff at my local Wise. It's amazing.

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  2. There are a lot of hot sauces out there that really aren't different enough to warrant a purchase. This stuff... is something else. Reminds me, I don't currently actually have a bottle around the house... should fix that.

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  3. i am also one of the many that call it cock cause.
    im a huge fan of cock sauce!

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  4. cock sauce ahahahahah

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  5. I can't handle too much spicy food... I doubt I could handle this "Cock Sauce" either. But, try everything once, right? If I run into it, I'll give it a go.

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  6. Nandos sauce is also extremely tasty.

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  7. I never heard of this sauce but I will buy and put it on everything! Even ice cream!

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  8. unfortunately I can't eat very spicy food. It tears up my throat...

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  9. Love food! nothing beats finding a new flavor, a new ingredient that makes everything taste better!

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  10. That's the best sauce ever. Use it like ketchup. Followed!

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  11. I lived by this stuff for the first two years of college.

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  12. God I love this sauce! Luckily they sell it in Finland too.

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  13. I know that even in Europe, it tastes great
    Baxxmans

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  14. I wonder where I could buy some of this

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  15. I think I'll pass on this one, don't like it too hot...

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  16. You just sold me. i think i'm gonna get some.

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  17. When I discovered Reggae Reggae sauce I can't imagine my self looking back for anything else that had the word sauce in it.


    @Kim Anders: I read your romantic poems in your blog, and now I'm reading this? Where do you live?
    hahaha

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  18. just noticed it said, " nutrition farts "

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  19. This sauce is SO gooooood. I'm glad someone is spreading the word about it. DimSum + Rooster sauce = Cloud9

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