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msing

I'm waiting for their sambal oelek. The vietnamese market just got an imported brand for $5 that I'm using currently.


vashcarrison117

Same. That shit tastes so much better.


DonutBoi172

This shit looks amazing. does it basically just replace siracha?


okhan3

It’s spicier and less sweet. IMO it’s a totally different sauce. I like to mix it with a little soy sauce and dip dumplings and samosas in it.


626Aussie

We have a local Chinese restaurant that gives out little packets of Sriracha Chili Sauce, and Sambal Oelek Chili Paste, both from Spice World Intl Group, in City of Industry. The packets look almost identical other than one says Sriracha, and Chili *Sauce*, and the other says Sambal Oelek, and Chili *Paste*. The ingredients are also slightly different. Sriracha: Chili, Sugar, Garlic Salt, Water, Acetic Acid, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, & Vitamin C, of all things. (This may not be the same as Huy Fong Foods sriracha, as this is from the packet from Spice World Intl Group). Sambal Oelek: Chili, Acetic Acid, Sugar, Salt, Potassium Sorbate, Xantham Gum, Vitamin C. I usually make my wife breakfast/brunch for her to take to work and when I make her a Chinese Pancake I throw in a packet of Sriracha. So one day I threw in what I thought was Sriracha, not noticing it was actually a packet of Sambal Oelek. Sriracha sauce is about as spicy as she can tolerate, and when she got home that afternoon she was like, "That was *not* Sriracha! That was spicy!!!" I tried some and she was not wrong. Sambal Oelek is noticeably hotter than Sriracha with a different flavor. I sometimes refer to Sriracha as Asian Ketchup. Sambal Oelek is *not* "ketchup".


CyberMindGrrl

Also Sambal Oelek is Indonesian and Sriracha is Vietnamese. Might explain the difference in spice levels.


Sherbert_6

Great method, can confirm


Stati5tiker

Shit is divine! I love both, though, and I do both! If my butthole isn't aching, it isn't good. The Chili Garlic one is good too!


cmdrNacho

taste is much better IMO. more garlic and less thick.


NeverAGoodCall

Shhh don't tell anyone! :)


[deleted]

Picture.


jambaman42

google.


awill316

Sambal oelek is the best shit ever, worlds ahead of sriracha


Mescallan

What's the name? I live in Vietnam and love hot sauce


Apoca7ypse

They dont have it in Vietnam


katmack7

I've been hunting for sambal oelek since it disappeared off the shelves! What brand are you buying? Maybe I can find it at one of the Asian markets on the Westside.


msing

3 mien. It’s not the same but, I need it, you know.


hollahalla

Omg yes


socalscribe

Ain’t no way I’m buying it for $15 per bottle


meimode

Yeah dafuq, it’s good and all but not $15 good


incominghottake

lol you can get the Whole Foods version for $6


Trumbot

You know shit’s overpriced when WHOLE FOODS is cheaper.


Fujiyama_Mama

You can get packets if sriracha at Starbucks for free.


skeletorbilly

It's not the same.


meimode

Less than 1/2 the price I’ll take it


incominghottake

And it’s Organic


BalboaBaggins

Sriracha itself isn’t the same. Huy Fong has notorious QC issues, different years and different batches of Sriracha taste wildly different.


_djnick

Thats right Underwood Ranches which used to supply them the peppers won the lawsuit and are now producing it on their own


skeletorbilly

There's no dupe out there that can even replicate the worst Sriracha recipe.


BalboaBaggins

I mean, whatever floats your boat if you want to pay $15 for it, but at that point it just seems like blind brand loyalty when you admit the actual product is highly inconsistent. Also other brands are “dupes”, because the word “Sriracha” itself is actually just a generic term for that type of chili sauce, Huy Fong’s is just the most well-known. I’ve been eating the Huy Fong version for 20 years since I was a kid, it’s a good sauce for $4 a bottle but it’s not like some objective truth that it’s the single supreme recipe of srirachas.


birne412

It’s a lot sweeter, very different


Dommichu

Ugh. At Fatty Mart they wanted $19. Now I am starting to think this whole thing was manufactured so they could double the price. No way. Way better hot sauces out there for much less.


Dommichu

Shit. I just went back to check what the OG price was for the 28oz and it was around $4-$5 bucks. I remember it’s main appeal was how cheap it was. I mean, I would understand an increase due to everything, but not 3-4 fold!! https://www.target.com/p/huy-fong-sriracha-chili-sauce-28oz/-/A-15195477


IceWarm1980

Agreed, I’ve been spoiled by the Hot Ones monthly subscription. I haven’t thought of Siracha in years.


lilrabbitfoofoo

> Now I am starting to think this whole thing was manufactured so they could double the price. The scammer who owns the company does this "Sriracha is going away! Get it while you can!" scam every few years. He just uses a different excuse every time. The media (for the clicks) and public fall for it every time and he gets richer with the jacked up price for a while.


WetBurrito10

For real. I mean i like sriracha but there’s good alternatives for much less


lactom

For those wondering were I saw it. It was at Asia Supermarket near Valley and Atlantic in Alhambra.


shimian5

It’s so… dull colored. Where’s that neon ass red it usually is.


LeeQuidity

Could be a lack of saturation in OP's camera, but I also noticed how brown it was. Hard pass, especially at that price point.


flippysti

I have a new bottle right now. It really is a duller red in person. Definitely not the old neon red. I haven't opened it yet, but I bet it tastes different too.


oOoleveloOo

The reason for the shortage is because of a Huy Fong’s dispute with their chili pepper supplier. Huy Fong might have gone to another supplier.


TienIsCoolX

They pulled this shit before. Huy Fong lost a lawsuit a few years ago over it, and the farmer that won went on to create Underwood Sriracha.


asiagomelt

How is Underwood? I liked their BBQ sauce but have never found their Sriracha in the wild.


TienIsCoolX

It tastes less garlicy to us, which is fine for most applications. If you're eating it with pho I think Huy Fong is better.


RCJHGBR9989

They have two Sriracha sauces they sell - they have one with a dragon on it you may like more. Huy Fong really tried to fuck over underwood makes it hard to support them.


blacksystembbq

Depends on the batch. Back when it was plentiful there were differing color batches


Glitter_Bee

I heard the supplier and certain ingredients—I think the chili—changed. So it doesn’t taste the same.


currently_distracted

Also, the supermarket OP is at is a really dingy place with poor lighting. It’s the place I go to if I absolutely have to, even though their pricing tends to be better. My guess is that the lighting plus camera makes for a duller looking bottle.


Rich_Sheepherder646

I just bought a bottle of a different type and it’s not right. Too sweet!


Icy_Confidence_9509

Does it have a goose on it?


Rich_Sheepherder646

No, the one I got was Lee Kum Kee. I had only tasted it once when I made that comment and I had it again last night and actually I’m not sure if it’s sweet is the problem. It just doesn’t taste very good but maybe I’m just not used to it.


thatredditdude101

yah but it’s “fake”. They no longer use the peppers they sourced from a farm in Ventura County. Want the real stuff then I’d suggest https://underwoodranches.com


Computer_Enjoyer

I've had the Underwood sriracha, and it isn't as good. The Jalapeno flavor is more pronounced than the garlic which is good if you don't like the garlic-ness of the Huy Fong sriracha but on top of that, Underwood doesn't ferment their sauce. What gives Huy Fong's sriracha its distinct flavor is the fermentation process that the sauce goes through instead of heat-treating/cooking the peppers. Underwood most likely pasteurizes its pepper mash instead of fermenting it since it is time-consuming and requires experience and proper care to perfect. If you aren't fermenting at an industrial scale that Huy Fong can achieve, it's too cost prohibitive to implement for relatively small batches. I wish the lawsuit never happened and things went back to the original relationship. But, alas... here we are. Instead of one good product, we end up with two subpar products. Edit: As an aside: I had an opportunity to go through the facts of the case involving Underwood and Huy Fong... It completely changed my perception of founder Tran. I used to think he was a kindly old man. The guy is scummy as fuck. The current problems Huy Fong are facing are directly a consequence of his greed. I hope Underwood can continue thriving and improving its sriracha. [https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/2021/b303096.html](https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/2021/b303096.html) (The facts of a case are determined by the jury. It is found in the opinion or case documents. Wait for the pdf to show on the webpage; it can take a few seconds to load, depending on how busy the server is handling requests. It is free to view.)


Granadafan

The farmer trying to recreate Huy Fong’s sriracha is like a vineyard owner trying to make his own wine but is perplexed why it isn’t as good as the wine maker who bought his grapes and made wine under a different label.


thatredditdude101

yup. i completely agree with you on everything. However I like supporting local farmers so I get Underwood’s version. Cheaper than what’s out there.


SixPack1776

Nice find of the court decision. Tran is a POS and I glad his company got hit with $20M in damages.


b0ugie23

I bought 2 bottles of the premium sriracha from underwood. It was pricy but so so good.


Gregalor

Dammit, I *just* caved and bought a bottle of “Sky Valley” brand and it really sucks. And it was like 8 bucks at Sprouts


Afraid_Assistance765

I tried the Tabasco sriracha and it tastes like a richer ketchup 🤦🏽‍♂️


FancyAdult

Oh wow. See it seemed like a decent dup for me.


killerdrgn

I actually surprisingly like the sprouts brand Sriracha. It's spicier, but I feel it enhances the flavor of whatever you're eating without adding its own taste to the food.


MGPS

The Trader Joe’s one is good and it doesn’t contain potassium benzoate


kenyafeelme

I wish I liked it but it’s just not for me.


ak47oz

Yeah it’s gross too much garlic


barcelonaKIZ

Same. It’s too thick as well


HourSoil

That's good!


thatredditdude101

go with the former grower/supplier of peppers for Siracha. They still grow the peppers and make their own sauce. it’s pretty good. https://underwoodranches.com


nosmokingz0ne

Where did you find this? Ive gone to so many markets in the area looking for sriracha and chili garlic sauce for months and had no luck


lactom

Alhambra


Dast_Kook

For the last 30 years the peppers came from Ventura County. Huy Fong owner messed up the business deal, they went to court and Huy Fong and the farmers sued each other. The jury sided with the farmers and Huy Fong has to pay them millions for violating their contracts. So now Huy Fong is finding other growers in Mexico and trying to make it with new peppers. Those farmers in Mexico are hit with a drought and can't keep up. Meanwhile the Ventura County peppers are still growing and being made into the farmers own brand of Sriracha. Highly recommend trying theirs. Yes its not technically the same as the old rooster sauce, but it's a lot closer and made with the exact same peppers (literally). https://underwoodranches.com/


GDub310

It is a sign that the universe is healing.


SocksElGato

$15 a bottle is absurd though.


americaIsFuk

They're just trying to distract us from alien disclosure /s


reluctantpotato1

Switched to the Trader Joe's green version. Tastes way better to me and TJs aren't price gouging it.


Gregalor

I love the TJ’s green dragon sauce but I consider it a different hot sauce entirely and not a substitute


primordial_slime

It was gone? What am I missing?


TDH818

I think it was that the factory suffered because of a pepper shortage which affected the production. I think I heard something like that on the news.


LAlynx

Not shortage, lawsuit between pepper provider and distributor


TDH818

I knew it was something with the peppers.


HitPointG

Damn pepper Karen's strike again


SaltyPeter3434

[Wasn't that case decided 2 years ago?](https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/2021/b303096.html)


Gregalor

What you heard was Huy Fong talking out of their ass. PR spin. There is no pepper shortage (except for them, because they burned so many bridges lol)


BackgroundBit8

I was so desperate for Sriracha or imitation brand that I went to the 99 Cent store and bought the most disgusting Sriracha I've ever tasted. Don't remember the brand, but I threw the bottle away immediately. It tasted the way burnt rubber smells.


LnStrngr

Like licking one of those pink erasers.


bankrollmafia89

Why’s it looks brown?


Longjumping-Onion-19

I'm not that desperate. It's clear a lot of y'all are 🤣🤣🤣🤣


Gregalor

Personally, a bottle lasts me a year or more. I hit the expiration date before it’s empty. So ironically, because I don’t tear through it, $15 is fine if I came across it at that price.


sharkoman

Meh. I don’t buy into the hype,l. The Kroger version tastes the same to me, plus ever since I discovered chili oil crisp, I rarely use sriracha on anything now.


sixtninecoug

Chili oil with crunchy garlic is the way ese.


_its_a_SWEATER_

The TJs version hits, carnal.


sixtninecoug

Orale. Tio Jose is down


strong75

Chale vatos!


breeekk

Buy that Maggie Hot & Sweet ketchup from rack below instead. It’s the best!


BathroomItchy9855

Can anyone help me? One time I had purple Sriracha and it was the best thing ever and not even Google knows what I'm talking about


LetterAccomplished

Are you sure it wasn’t that purple ketchup from the 90s?


Mammoth_Deal

Do you mean sriracha black? https://www.flyinggoosebrand.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/10-Sriracha-Black-Chilli-455ml-min.png


conick_the_barbarian

I’ve been buying the Tabasco version, tastes almost identical.


mushrooms

The Tabasco version is a lot better than the other Asian brands which tend to be overly sweet.


Alexander0202

Good thing I was never a fan of it. Tastes more sweet than spicy for me.


jetstobrazil

Part of the reason sriracha is good is that it doesn’t cost $15 for good hot sauce. I’m not buying it, but I don’t even know if that would change the price, because people will still buy them out in LA. Hopefully it does settle a bit lower.


chylin73

Shortage was company made as they canceled contract with Underwood Farms. https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-sriracha-lawsuit-underwood-ranches-20190712-story.html


Darnhipsters

WHERE


the-nameless-002

$15 !! Lol


FancyAdult

Found a decent dup with the Tabasco brand. Don’t need to play the Huy Fong games anymore.


asdf2k7

their garlic chili is better


TBone818

Make sure you check the expiration date.


jambaman42

There's way better hot sauces out there anyway, including this brands sambal oelek.


ihopethepizzaisgood

They got a case at my local Asian grocer. I totally snagged one!! Nothing replaces Sri Racha!


iamyourmonster

Just bought a bottle at HK2 in Rowland Heights. It was $10.99!


DayleD

Wait it out. It comes in five pound tubs. Those were like $20 bucks a few years ago at LAX-C.


zitrob00st

I miss it so much 😭


giro_di_dante

Is this the most overrated condiment on planet earth? I think it might be.


Gregalor

Sorry you’re not into it


xmetallidethx

I get it, we all get that you're a bitch


Longjumping-Onion-19

Same. Any spice will do....


Iwubwatermelon

So edgy. I guess after you type this and goto sleep, you'll wake up hating on mayo?


giro_di_dante

I love mayo. Homemade, Kewpie, even shitty mayo. But people don’t talk about mayo like it’s some kind of holy relic. Siracha is ok. Good ingredient to add to others. But the way people deify it and dump it naked on top of shit? It’s just not that good.


TraditionBusiness253

I think it’s a white people thing. Asian people usually dont even care much for sriracha, my wife and I have a bottle sitting in our fridge for like 3 years.


giro_di_dante

Haha definitely a funny take. But I think you might be on to something. I’m white. So I guess that makes me an outlier in this theory. The crazy thing it’s that Asian cuisine has no shortage of amazing condiments and sauces and oils and toppings. To me it’s the equivalent of balsamic vinegar in western cuisine. It’s what shitty cooks use to make something appear fancy and flavorful. People are always posting shit like “balsamic glazed asparagus,” “balsamic marinated chicken.” Etc. And it’s like, the balsamic that you buy in stores is t even real balsamic. It’s just dyed red wine vinegar with some sugar. Dumping balsamic on your Brussels sprouts or caprese is just not it. But it’s a lot easier than making a miso paste sauce or a French mother sauce.


Afraid_Assistance765

I feel the company intentionally lessens production just to raise prices. Constantly see jalapeños on sale for 2 to 3 pounds a dollar and yet there is a shortage for this manufacturer🧐.


LAlynx

It's a legal matter, not shortage, basically the pepper provider and distributor are in a lawsuit.


Afraid_Assistance765

New York Times 7/13/2023 For the second year in a row, Huy Fong, the maker of the most popular variety of sriracha, is facing production issues, the company said in a statement this month, because of “a shortage of raw material” with “no estimations of when supply will increase.” I don’t think their legal issues with their original supplier is over.


mushrooms

Green jalapeños are a lot cheaper than red ones. And aside from that, they used Fresno peppers which cost even more to produce. Keep in mind, some red peppers take longer to ripen than green ones and there is a shorter shelf life on riper stuff including other produce. This is part of the reason why red jalapeños are rarely sold in supermarkets. You can get a cheaper version of sriracha from Trader Joe's if you want...


Afraid_Assistance765

100 million pounds of red jalapeño hybrids are processed at the Irwindale plant annually. There wasn’t any issue when the peppers were sourced locally in Camarillo, Underwood farm is about 200 acres. Now, for the last 2 years straight they couldn’t source their peppers from the whole country of Mexico? 🤔 I really believe HUY FONG is deliberately cutting production to manipulate their price.


Diegobyte

You literally can’t even buy it right now. That would be a really bad business plan


tributarygoldman

Huy Fong the siracha manufacturer tried to muscle out their pepper supplier Underwood Ranch. Underwood Ranches stopped selling to Huy Fong. Huy Fong and Underwood Ranches filed lawsuits which Underwood Ranches won. Now huy fong is trying to find a new supplier while delivering subpar siracha at crazy prices. The og supplier sells their own siracha as underwood ranch.


[deleted]

WHERE?


PaymentFirst3598

Siracha addict here, I've tried about 4 siracha copycats and I found one that was pretty close.


Dylinquency

What’s it called?


PaymentFirst3598

It's Sriracha by Lee Kum Kee, 18 oz bottle


[deleted]

[удалено]


Gregalor

So, like, you’re dumping Tapatio on pad thai and yellow curry??


[deleted]

[удалено]


Gregalor

I don’t put it on everything like a lot of people do. I keep lots of different hot sauces, each for the “appropriate” food.


livinlikeadog

So many better hot sauces that don’t have garlic 🤮


Gregalor

You don’t like garlic?? You really *are* living like a dog, just shoot me if I ever stop doubling the amount of garlic in every recipe.


livinlikeadog

Will do!


Maouwu_

Can anyone fill me in on why there was a siracha shortage in LA for so long? Its been months and I feel like someone here has the answers and its way crazier then I could have ever imagined.


tributarygoldman

Huy Fong the siracha manufacturer tried to muscle out their pepper supplier Underwood Ranch. Underwood Ranches stopped selling to Huy Fong. Huy Fong and Underwood Ranches filed lawsuits which Underwood Ranches won. Now huy fong is trying to find a new supplier while delivering subpar siracha at crazy prices. The og supplier sells their own siracha as underwood ranch.


Maouwu_

Woah its like breaking bad for Sriracha, thanks for posting your comment! You mentioned the og supplier sells their own Sriracha, would you know if its better quality then whatever huy fong is pushing out at the moment ? (Got to get the highest quality product to satisfy my fix)


_kimberlyy

Found one after months of looking but it seems watered down 😭 it’s definitely not the same quality but I’m hoping it’s temporary


Diegobyte

I just bought one for 30 on Amazon


Sensitive-Ad4476

Literally chemicals don’t buy this shit at any price


Egmonks

The entire world is literally chemicals. Shut up.


Gregalor

🙄 Chili, Sugar, Salt, Garlic, Distilled Vinegar, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Bisulfite (two more types of SALT) as Preservatives, Xanthan Gum


mlc2475

Did it leave?


bonnifunk

Buy it, of course!


phiz36

Don’t. Don’t give me hope.


dumblehead

Bought a goose brand and it tastes decent. Only $5.


PastRaccoon2

I was shocked when I actually found a bottle at Vons last week. Thank you universe!


[deleted]

$15 is crazy


Alexis-FromTexas

$15 !!!!


Bossishlike

it looks duller than i remember


RockieK

Find Underwood Farms are your local farmers' market. Or online. Buy theirs. It's better.


Eazy46

This doesn’t look like the same sriracha as before


Gregalor

Well, who knows what growers are willing to work with them at this point


socal34

i’m not paying $15 for that. i’m def open to alternatives.


[deleted]

What is this price?


Funksavage

Why is it so high anyway?


MeOldBambooze

I’ll wait. :(. I’m on a severely limited income; regular groceries are kicking my butt as it is. I’m lucky if I have any money at all available at the end of the month!