Sriracha sauce is one of the most popular hot sauces in France. However, the current climatic conditions are apparently not favorable to the production of this condiment. It could therefore temporarily disappear from the shelves of our supermarkets.
A wind of panic among lovers of spicy dishes
This is definitely not the season for lovers of spicy dishes. The famous Sriracha sauce, from the company Huy Fong Foods, which is easily distinguished by its green lid, is likely to be missed by its regulars. This condiment, dear to restaurants serving oriental dishes, is on the way out, according to the brand’s statements. Indeed, the manufacturer has announced to pause its production for a few months.
As expected, this announcement quickly sparked a wave of panic in the country of Uncle Sam. Our friends across the Atlantic are, in fact, the biggest consumers of this sauce. After learning of this bad news, some did not hesitate to build up a large stock so as not to run out of it in the months to come.
Sriracha Shortage Threatens Earth’s Axial Tilt pic.twitter.com/95iDwwklRT
—John Ferguson (@Fearguth) June 9, 2022
A shortage caused by bad weather
Unlike the last shortages we faced, the disappearance of Sriracha sauce is not caused by the war in Ukraine. This is caused by a severe drought that has been affecting the West Coast of the United States and Mexico for some time. States such as New Mexico, California and Mexico are currently facing extreme weather conditions.
“At present, due to weather conditions affecting the quality of chillies, we are facing a severe shortage. Unfortunately, this is beyond our control and without this essential ingredient, we cannot manufacture any of our products,” Huy Fong Foods explained in a statement.
In addition to Sriracha, chili garlic and sambal oelek sauces are also affected by the same problem. These are therefore no longer produced. This has once again widened the impact of this shortage.
As of this writing, orders placed with the manufacturer have all been suspended. The brand nevertheless specified that deliveries will resume around the start of the school year, i.e. after American Labor Day, which will be held on September 6, 2022.
Huy Fong Foods and its cult logo
Huy Fong Foods was born in the late 1970s in the city of Los Angeles by the initiative of David Tran. The latter is a former boat-people of Sino-Vietnamese origin who fled the war that was raging in the country of Hồ Chí Minh. His company is currently a reference among manufacturers of chilli sauces.
Sriracha shortage incoming 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/RSgm8gAUSE
— 👑 🐕🍳 (@MyLifeOnTheLin3) June 2, 2022
Huy Fong Foods became famous for its flagship product, which is none other than Sriracha sauce. This famous sauce is made from chilli, sugar, garlic and vinegar. Its logo is known to all enthusiasts. It is a rooster that enjoys a certain reputation in pop culture. It is not uncommon to see this logo on t-shirts or mugs.
Other shortages in perspective
The shortage of hot sauce reminds us of that of sunflower oil as well as that of mustard. Sunflower oil is scarce on the shelves because of the war in Ukraine. Indeed, this country was the main exporter of this commodity before the Russian invasion. As for the shortage of mustard, it is also partly due to the conflict, but it is not only that. A drought in the country of maple syrup is also responsible.
In addition to the above-mentioned products, poultry meat will probably run out in the coming months. The reason for this is to be found in the avian flu which affected 1,378 farms. This disease has led to the slaughter of 16 million poultry since last November. Among them, there were 11 million in the Great West.
The only good news is that the government has lowered the alert level from “moderate” to “negligible” throughout France. A decision which was motivated by the fact that there have been no new outbreaks since May 17, 2022.
