Sriracha (Thai: ซอสศรีราชา) (pronounced /siːrətʃə/) is the generic name for a Southeast Asian hot sauce from Thailand. It is named after the seaside city of Si Racha, where it was first produced as a local product (currently licensed by "Sriracha Panich"). It is made from sun-ripened chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. It averages a scoville rating of 2,000.One of the most famous brands is made by Huy Fong Foods, an American company, that puts an emblem of a rooster on the bottle and comes in a green cap (other companies also make their own Sriracha with caps of various colors, but the version made by Huy Fong always comes in green). The US brand from Huy Fong Foods is often left out on the table at restaurants all day and contains sodium bisulfite as a preservative. Thai people often find the American brand perplexing, as Sriracha was originally and is still often thought of as unique brand from that town, not a type of sauce. Thai grocery stores carry the authentic Thai version, which usually has no preservatives and is refrigerated after opening. Huy Fong Foods has trademarked the name "Sriracha" in the United States, preventing any importers from using the same name, including those under license from the originator of the sauce "Sriracha Panich".In many culinary schools and professional kitchens, the Huy Fong Sriracha is referred to as "hot cock sauce" because of the image of a rooster on the label. Typically, it is alluded to as a double entendre.Both Thai and non-Thai version have hot, sweet and spicy flavors; however, Thai Sriracha sauce generally has a sweeter or more tangy flavor and a smoother texture. The American (and similar versions) are often chunkier, with a texture similar to ketchup. This is sometimes used as a condiment for phở, along with hoisin sauce. It is never used on noodles or soups in Thailand; instead it is used as a dipping sauce, particularly for seafood (usually clams). It is also used as a general-purpose hot sauce, especially with Asian foods. In California it is commonly put on french fries and pizza. It is sometimes used as a sauce for buffalo wings or combined with parmesan cheese on hot popcorn. This sauce also appears frequently as a condiment that sushi chefs, especially in the United States, often use for sushi rolls. External linksComparison of the principal US brand to the most popular Thai brand