Learn About Sriracha Sauce Ingredients
Sriracha sauce has become a favorite condiment around the world. We use it for noodles, meats, sandwiches, sauces, and just about any foods that we think could use an extra kick of heat.
Have you ever wondered what this spicy concoction is made of and why people love it so much? It is always interesting to discover what ingredients are used in our favorite condiments. This article will give you a breakdown of all the ingredients in sriracha sauce.
Peppers
The main and most important ingredient of sriracha sauce is those hot, flavorful chili peppers. There are many types of chili peppers found all over the world with varying degrees of spiciness in them. Many people are familiar with the infamous ghost pepper challenge for people to eat the pepper with the highest level of spice in the world.
While sriracha doesn’t pack quite that much of a punch, it features the spicy and flavorful red jalapeno peppers found in Southeast Asia. They only reach a 2,200 on the Scoville scale, so sriracha sauce isn’t too spicy. It has just the right balance of spice and flavor to entice heat lovers, but not drive away those who can’t take it.
Vinegar
Many people may not realize it, but vinegar is another key ingredient for most hot sauces. This sriracha sauce ingredient is important, because it helps to break down the peppers, which is necessary for sriracha sauce as it is not cooked in the creation process. Vinegar also serves as a preservative for the final product.
Salt
The next ingredient added to sriracha sauce is salt. After vinegar and salt are added, the combination is allowed to sit and marinate with preservatives for an entire year.
Sugar
Sugar is then added to the sriracha sauce to cut the heat a little bit and create a more enticing flavor profile.
Garlic
Then garlic is added to the mix, which gives the sauce an even more complex and pleasing taste.
Thickening Agents
The final ingredient added to sriracha sauce at the end is a combination of various thickening agents to give the sauce the right consistency for pouring and staying on your food. These can include potassium sorbate, sodium bisulfite and xanthan gum.
