Sriracha hot sauce for $70? Fans of this very popular hot sauce may be disappointed to learn that there is currently an international shortage of Sriracha sauce.
Sriracha sauce originated in Thailand, but the sauces available in our stores are made by Huy Fong Foods, based in California. Due to an ongoing shortage with bottlenecks in production, the popular Sriracha sauce was trading at up to 70 US dollars in online shops in the USA in early july this year.
This is “good news” for black markets, as the normal bottle price for the popular Sriracha sauce is usually around $5 US.
Producer Huy Fong Foods has been struggling with a shortage of red jalapeno chilies that has affected production of Sriracha sauce. And this could go on for a while, as the company does not give any indication as to when supply will increase again. In normal production times, 800 tons of pods are processed per day during the harvest season.
However, the shortage of chili peppers has existed for three years. The drought in Mexico, which damaged suppliers’ chili crops, led to a temporary halt in orders last year. According to U.S. climate scientists, last year’s drought was the most severe in 1200 years. And the region is again threatened by drought in 2023.
Sriracha addicts are now hoarding the sauce, and the shortage has also led some consumers to switch to dry Sriracha powder or replace the popular sauce with another brand. But it’s not quite the same, as regular customers have confirmed to us.
The search for the coveted sauce is so intense that several restaurants in the U.S. have reported that some customers are increasingly stealing the sauce that is usually on the tables for diners.
It is not only in the USA that Sriracha sauce is on everyone’s lips. The spicy seasoning with 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville celebrates worldwide success with this sauce in over 20 countries.
