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!