Best hot sauce ever
There was a time (several years ago) when I thought I was one of the few people who knew about the deliciously spicy chili sauce sriracha. But, lately, I’m thinking it’s becoming decidedly mainstream, at least among the food cognoscenti (and deservedly so).
In fact just a couple of weeks ago it was the focus of an article in the New York Times, and yesterday on Mark Bittman’s blog, Bitten. I’m sure if Martha Steward hasn’t featured it on her show yet, its just a matter of time and I fully expect it to become one of Oprah’s favorite things.
Sriracha has roughly 141,375 fans on Facebook, while mayonnaise has 3,843 fans and mustard has a paltry 3,034 fans. Not sure what this means (market research people?) but, clearly Sriracha has a big following!
I am also a fan of the chili garlic sauce Huy Fong Foods makes, it definitely deliver more in terms of texture and if you are a garlic fan like me (which has a decent
Sriracha's More Complex Brother
Facebook following as well) this might be your sauce of choice. But, the squeeze bottle IS super convenient…
In terms of nutrition, both sauces are low calorie. One teaspoon has roughly 5 calories and 100 milligrams of sodium. Even if you are a die hard hot sauce fanatic, you probably would not end up using much more than a teaspoon per serving.
I’ve also mentioned before the potential health benefits of capsaicin (see Huevos Portobellos), which is the active ingredient in chili peppers, and may promote increased metabolism (i.e. weight loss). The jury is not out on whether this effect actually exists or is large enough to produce results, but, I do think there is also something to the fact that when you use something so spicy, you may end up eating less on account of the numbing sensation that occurs.
In any event, Sriracha is a tasty, low calorie condiment, and I personally use it at least one meal per day. I can’t drink soup without it anymore, and it defintely wins hands down over Tabasco (a former favorite).
Have you ever tried Sriracha? If so, what’s your favorite way to use it?
June 17, 2009 at 12:40 pm
[...] Original post by Fashionably Healthy [...]
June 17, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Sriracha has been one of my faves since way back. Nice change of pace from Tabasco (another favorite). Love it in soups!
February 25, 2010 at 12:17 pm
loved it for years…try it on popcorn!
March 9, 2010 at 6:50 am
When making home made popcorn try putting the Sriracha in the oil with the kernals. When they start popping the spice will be absorbed and it makes for a perfect snack. One draw back is that it tends to burn easy so be careful.
May 15, 2010 at 10:18 pm
[...] While you are waiting for the book to be released, you can always check out my post on Sriracha from June ’09: Sriracha Having Its Moment [...]
November 25, 2010 at 9:38 am
Spicy Bloody Beer: 12 oz glass, 20 shakes Worchestershire Sauce, 1/2 Tsp Sriracha. Fill the rest of the way with 1/2 beer and 1/2 tomatoe juice. Mommy … Spicy Good !!
February 5, 2011 at 7:40 pm
Use it on pretty much every thing I can get my hands on, great n soups(obviously), that was my gateway drug, now I love it on salads, pizza, pasta, lunch meat, tortilla chips, eggs, hamburgers, and soo much more. Its crazy, but I will find myself squirting it on strips of lettuce because I just can’t get enough of it!
June 13, 2011 at 2:15 am
Whole wheat pasta. Lots of Rooster Sauce. Olive oil to keep noodles from sticking, and Luzianne Cajun spices (the green paper shake tube).
Lots of good stuff going on here!
August 7, 2011 at 7:51 pm
Although it’s low in calories it’s high in sodium. Low calorie doesn’t necessarily mean healthy. I like it on pizza, mac’n cheese, pasta and lots of other stuff.
December 17, 2011 at 1:45 pm
i put sriracha on almost everything. the most delicious condiment. this article was awesome to read! thank u!!
February 1, 2012 at 9:11 pm
I learned about sriracha sauce on Dr Oz today. He says that it’s great for your heart. I love hot sauces in general, so I’m buying some sriracha sauce tomorrow. Can’t wait to try it!
February 12, 2012 at 10:41 pm
on avacados
February 22, 2012 at 10:39 pm
fish oil weight loss…
[...]Sriracha Having Its Moment « Fashionably Healthy[...]…