SRIRACHA,THE LITTLE RED CHILI SAUCE THAT COULD, has risen in the ranks from niche offering to hipster favorite to American ubiquity. Sales are up, shelves are stocked and love has seemingly transformed into reliance as the foodie world watched with solemn trepidation as last year’s lawsuit from the city of Irwindale, CA, threatened to close a major manufacturing plant in response to claims of noxious fumes. At the height of the hysteria, a packet of sriracha was reportedly posted to eBay with an asking bid of $10,000. Unfortunately for black market spice-peddlers, Irwindale has since dropped suit and the sriracha train rolls onward and upward, propelled by signature flavor and some of the biggest fans in all of Foodie-dom, who can’t stop finding new uses for their favorite condiment.
Organic Kale Sriracha Caesar The Blasé Café uses fashionable greens and sriracha to spice up a classic dish with its updated version of the Caesar salad. Substituting organic kale for the typical romaine and topping it off with an original sriracha Caesar dressing, Blasé refuses to rest on its laurels.
Tempura to Tuna Sriracha ain’t nothing to shake your spears at, according to the Half Shell Oyster House, which serves its battered and fried asparagus with both homemade wasabi ranch and sriracha for double the heat. Dig into their sashimi-grade yellowfin tuna, seared, spiced and served chilled with a side of sriracha lime mayonnaise.
Sriracha Bloody Mary Sure, anyone can add a dash of sriracha to their favorite Bloody Mary mix, but who’s got sriracha-infused vodka? UV Vodka, that’s who. It may be based in Minnesota, but we won’t hold that against them.
Cuban Hot Tamale Tommy Bahama gives fusion a try, injecting this Caribbean staple with some Vietnamese flavoring. Stacked with the requisite roasted pork (housemade), ham, Gruyere and pickle garnish, Tommy Bahama completes the set with its own sriracha mustard, setting this offering apart from your typical Cuban.
Spicy Tuna and Avocado As if the name weren’t enough to sell you, this dish from Melange is a masterful combination of flavors and textures. Wonton crisps offset the smooth texture of the ahi tuna tartare, while sriracha aioli bombards tastebuds as fast as the avocado can soothe them.
Blackened Alligator Chowder With this dish, Cedar Reef Fish Camp may win the title for most exciting chowder in the area. Not only are you munching on ‘gator, along with taters, celery, onions and carrots, but also a spicy base of sriracha and smoky paprika sure to delight the adventurous.
Accessorize You are what you eat, now wear it. From the casual and silly– sriracha water bottles and T-shirts–to the devoted and fashionable–sriracha stilettos and handbags–it’s all fair game. I am sriracha, hear me roar.
Peanut Calamari It’s been said that good people have a soft spot for calamari, so be a good person and swing by Soma Creek Side Restaurant for a little seafood snack. Wok-fired and flavored with both a citrusy and tart ponzu sauce and sweet and spicy sriracha, this is squid even Captain Nemo could love.
Any and Everything Seriously, in case you haven’t realized by now, sriracha can be used to ignite almost any dish. Popcorn? Sure. Ice cream? Why not. It’s your palate’s panacea and the thing cravings are born of.
