Tai Saint-Louis is a Haitian-born, Atlanta-based journalist & content development consultant. Over the course of her 20 year career she has contributed to Mass Appeal, Ebony.com, WatchLoud.com, Bossip.com, Creative Loafing, Scratch, XXL, The Source, Upscale Magazine and AllHipHop.com, and worked with brands including the Combat Jack Show and the A3C Festival. She is also the co-author of The Art Behind The Tape, the first coffee table book about the history of mixtape culture.
published Apr 14, 2023
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You may have noticed it’s getting increasingly difficult to find your favorite brand of Sriracha. This is neither store- nor regionally-specific; but at this point, it might be brand-specific.
According to USA Today, a drought in Mexico last year caused a shortage in the red jalapeño peppers which are the base ingredient in Sriracha. The industry recovered from this shortage by late fall, allowing most brands to be able to resume regular delivery of their sauces and flavored products to stores.
One company —Southern California-based Huy Fong Foods, Inc. — however, has reported that it is experiencing an “unprecedented inventory shortage” of Sriracha. And while normally one company coming up short would not be a cause for alarm, Huy Fong Foods is behind the most popular Sriracha chili sauces on the market.
The shortage, of course, has not gone unnoticed by consumers. Home chefs and fans of the condiment alike have taken to social media to lament the absence of the company’s most recognizable brand — the Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. The product —which comes in a green-capped, clear squeeze bottle that features a rooster on the label — is probably the most recognizable Sriracha brand around.
While restaurants are reportedly searching for wholesale distributors who can replenish their pantries, some grocery stores have gone so far as to limit the number of bottles shoppers can pick up at one time.
“Although some production did resume this past fall season, we continue to have a limited supply that continues to affect our production,” the company said in a statement.
Unfortunately, at this time, Huy Fong Foods, Inc. stopped short of offering an estimate as to when this shortage might be resolved.
In April 2022, the company informed buyers that the Mexican drought also impacted its ability to produce its Chili Garlic and Sambal Oelek sauces. No word as to whether the current shortage impacts those two varieties as well.
