Huy Fong Foods, the maker of Sriracha sauce that comes in bottles with green caps decorated with roosters, said it would halt production until after Labor Day, raising fears of another shortage. There is.
The California company blamed production difficulties on the popular seasoning on the red jalapeno chili peppers that give the hot sauce its tangy, sweet spiciness. According to Huy Fong Foods, it’s not red enough.
“After re-evaluating the chili peppers we supply, we have determined that they are too blue to proceed with production as it will affect the color of the product,” the company told wholesale buyers in a letter obtained this week by USA TODAY. Huy Fong Foods does not sell directly to consumers.
“We regret to inform you that we have decided to suspend production until after Labor Day, when the next chili season begins,” the letter continued.
It may be a mild summer. Previous red jalapeno shortages have made Huy Fong Food’s Sriracha sauce nearly impossible to find. The company’s chili sauce garlic sauce and sambal oelek are also affected.
“Unfortunately, all orders scheduled after May 6, 2024 will be canceled and their status will be changed to pending,” Huifong Foods said.
When asked about production issues, Huy Fung Foods told USA TODAY via email: “No comment available at this time.”
Will there be a shortage at Huy Fong Foods Sriracha?
Stephanie Walker, a professor and extension vegetable expert at New Mexico State University, said her fellow sriracha growers make a lot of red jalapeños and have not reported any production problems with the chili peppers.
She speculates that Huifong Foods, which sources chili peppers in Mexico, has not yet established strong relationships with reliable jalapeño producers.
“We have heard from third parties that efforts are being made to recruit new growers to ensure a reliable supply of jalapeños, but this does not seem to have been a complete success,” said Co-Director of the University. Walker said. Chili Pepper Research Institute.
The Root of the Sriracha Problem: Fallout with Suppliers
California-based Underwood Ranches was Huy Fung’s sole jalapeño supplier for decades until the partnership collapsed over financial disputes in 2017.
Two years later, a jury found Huy Fung committed fraud by violating his contract with Underwood Ranch, and awarded Underwood $23.3 million. Currently, Underwood Ranch makes a rival brand of Sriracha sauce.
Chili peppers, which are typically harvested by hand, are a labor-intensive crop. Huy Fong Foods uses approximately 50,000 tons of chili peppers annually to make hot sauce.
“Growing chili peppers and jalapenos are difficult crops. You definitely need experience and you need to know how to harvest the crops,” Walker said.
Red jalapeños are the key to flavorful Sriracha
Huy Fung told retail customers that the color of the Sriracha sauce was affected by jalapeños that were harvested too early, but the quality and flavor were not affected.
However, Walker says using red jalapenos picked while they’re still green will change the flavor. As red jalapenos ripen, they tend to become sweeter and have a more complex flavor. When she worked in the industry, Walker’s processing plant rejected her red jalapenos that contained more than 5 percent green.
“Red and green jalapenos come from the same plant. The green fruit is just an immature fruit that turns red when it reaches physiological maturity,” Walker said. “One of the reasons for the strict 5% limit is that green fruit not only dilutes the color, but also affects the flavor.”
Hui Fong fans: Get ready for a Sriracha run
The history of the Huy Fong Sriracha empire dates back to the end of the Vietnam War, when David Tran moved to Los Angeles and decided to get into the Sriracha business. By 1980, he was delivering orders in a blue Chevrolet van. The Sriracha made by his company in Irwindale, California, has been a staple for hot sauce lovers ever since.
But the long shortages that have plagued Huy Fong in recent years have led to people begging for bottles on social media, stealing bottles from restaurants and paying exorbitant prices to spice up their piping hot bowls of pho, ramen, or trays of sushi rolls. This irritates the fans who pay the price.
The stomachache subsided as bottles reappeared on grocery store shelves and restaurant tables, and households began stocking up again. But some Sriracha fans still feel the scars and say old hoarding habits are hard to break.
“Some hot sauce bottle Too many things in your kitchen cabinets? I’m looking for a friend,” one Hui Fengfan recently posted on X.
Another said, “My boyfriend is Vietnamese. I counted 16 in the pantry, 2 in the fridge, and one in Lazy Susan. He still hasn’t gotten over his Huy Fong Sriracha shortage. yeah.”
