Sriracha Sauce

1. 1

   Prepare the chilies and garlic

   Wash the fresh red chilies and remove the stems. Cut the chilies into rough chunks. Peel the garlic cloves. There's no need to remove the seeds unless you want a milder sauce.

   5m

   Tips:

   • • Use gloves when handling fresh chilies to protect your skin
   • • Leaving seeds in gives authentic heat and body to the sauce
2. 2

   Cook the chili mixture

   Add the chopped chilies and garlic cloves to a small saucepan. Pour in just enough white vinegar to barely cover the ingredients (about 100ml). Place over low to medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic cloves are completely soft and the chilies have softened.

   15m

   Tips:

   • • Keep the heat low to prevent the vinegar from becoming too sharp
   • • The garlic should be soft enough to mash easily with a spoon
   • • Don't let it boil vigorously - a gentle simmer is ideal
3. 3

   Blend until smooth

   Transfer the cooked chili mixture (including all liquid) to a blender. Blend on high speed until completely smooth. For a milder sauce, you can strain out some seeds at this point using a fine-mesh strainer, but traditional Thai sriracha keeps the seeds for texture and heat.

   2m

   Tips:

   • • Let the mixture cool slightly before blending for safety
   • • A high-powered blender creates the smoothest texture
   • • For completely smooth sauce, blend for at least 60 seconds
4. 4

   Season the sauce

   Pour the blended mixture back into the saucepan. Add the sugar and salt. Add the remaining vinegar (about 20ml) and water if needed to achieve desired consistency - Thai sriracha should be thinner and more pourable than American versions. Stir well over medium heat until the sauce comes to a gentle simmer.

   3m

   Tips:

   • • Thai sriracha is runnier than Western versions - don't make it too thick
   • • The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools
5. 5

   Taste and adjust

   Remove from heat and taste the sauce. Adjust the seasoning balance: add more salt for savory depth, more sugar for sweetness, more vinegar for tanginess, or water for consistency. The flavor should be hot, sour, salty, and slightly sweet in harmony - the Thai concept of 'klom klom' or well-rounded flavor.

   2m

   Tips:

   • • The sauce should not be overly vinegary or bitter
   • • Balance is key - no single flavor should dominate
   • • Remember the sauce will mellow slightly after cooling
6. 6

   Cool and bottle

   Allow the sriracha sauce to cool to room temperature. Transfer to a clean glass bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid. The sauce can be used immediately but will develop deeper flavor after a day in the refrigerator.

   0

   Tips:

   • • Sterilize bottles with boiling water before filling for longer shelf life
   • • A squeeze bottle or bottle with pour spout works best for serving
7. 7

   Store properly

   Store the sriracha in the refrigerator for up to 3-6 months. The vinegar and salt act as natural preservatives. Shake well before each use as some separation is natural.

   0

   Tips:

   • • The flavor continues to develop and mellow over the first week
   • • If any mold appears, discard the sauce immediately
   • • Color may darken slightly over time - this is normal

• •Use fresh red spur chilies (prik chi fa) for authentic flavor - these are medium-heat chilies, not tiny bird's eye chilies
• •Never use dried chilies, rice vinegar, or cider vinegar - these alter the authentic flavor profile
• •Traditional Thai sriracha never contains tomatoes, unlike some Western versions
• •The sauce should have a smooth texture, never chunky - blend thoroughly
• •Thai sriracha is thinner and more pourable than American sriracha - don't over-thicken
• •White vinegar only is traditional - it provides clean acidity without competing flavors
• •The sauce should taste balanced ('klom klom') with no single flavor dominating
• •For more authentic flavor, let the sauce rest for 1-2 days before using
• •Some recipes include a fermentation step: blend raw chilies with salt, ferment 3-5 days, then cook with vinegar and sugar
• •Adjust spice level by using more or fewer chilies, or by removing seeds before blending

• •
  Spring rolls and fresh rolls (poh pia)
• •
  Grilled seafood - especially prawns, squid, and fish
• •
  Thai-style fried chicken
• •
  Omelets and egg dishes
• •
  Noodle soups - pho, kuay teow, boat noodles
• •
  Fried rice and khao pad
• •
  Dipping sauce for dumplings and dim sum
• •
  Pizza and pasta (fusion uses)
• •
  Stir-fried dishes for added heat
• •
  Thai-style grilled pork and chicken
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  Fresh oysters and seafood
• •
  Congee (jok) and rice porridge
• •
  Mixed into mayonnaise for spicy spread
• •
  Breakfast dishes and Thai omelets
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  As a condiment for street food

Sriracha sauce originated in the 1930s in Si Racha (ศรีราชา), a coastal district in Chonburi province on Thailand's eastern seaboard, about 120 km southeast of Bangkok. The original sauce was created by Thanom Chakkapak, a local resident who made the sauce for her family and friends. She began small-scale commercial production under the brand name 'Sriraja Panich' (ศรีราชาพานิช), which remains the original Thai sriracha brand still produced today. The sauce was initially popular among local fishing communities and quickly spread throughout the region as a condiment for fresh seafood. The name 'Sriracha' comes directly from the town of origin. In the 1970s and 1980s, Thai and Vietnamese immigrants brought sriracha-style sauces to the United States, where American versions were developed, most famously by Huy Fong Foods in California. However, the American versions differ significantly from the original Thai sauce - they use different chilies (jalapeños instead of spur chilies), include garlic powder and preservatives, and have a thicker consistency and more pronounced vinegar flavor. The original Thai sriracha from Si Racha is smoother, sweeter, and more balanced with a thinner consistency, emphasizing the traditional Thai flavor principle of balancing hot, sour, salty, and sweet. Today, Sriracha sauce has become globally recognized, though many people are unaware of its Thai origins from the small coastal town of Si Racha in Chonburi province.

Authentic Thai sriracha from Si Racha must use fresh red spur chilies (prik chi fa) - never dried chilies and not tiny bird's eye chilies. The original recipe uses only white distilled vinegar, never rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, which would alter the clean, sharp acidity that defines the sauce. Traditional Thai sriracha never contains tomatoes, unlike some Western interpretations. The texture must be completely smooth and pourable - thinner than American sriracha with a consistency closer to hot sauce than ketchup. The flavor profile should embody 'klom klom' - the Thai concept of well-rounded, balanced flavor where hot, sour, salty, and sweet harmonize without any single element dominating. The sauce should not have a bitter heat or overpowering vinegar aftertaste that characterizes some American versions. Authentic preparation involves cooking the chilies and garlic in vinegar until soft, then blending smooth and seasoning with sugar and salt. Some traditional makers ferment the chili-garlic mixture for 3-5 days before cooking, which adds umami depth and complexity. The original Sriraja Panich brand from Si Racha remains the gold standard for authentic Thai sriracha. The sauce should be used as a general condiment for seafood, noodles, rice dishes, and soups rather than as an ingredient in cooking. In Thailand, sriracha is particularly associated with fresh seafood and is a standard condiment on tables in coastal areas and seafood restaurants. The sauce's runnier consistency makes it ideal for drizzling over dishes or mixing into dipping sauces, while its balanced sweetness complements rich, oily, or fried foods without overwhelming them.