I don’t think I’ve yet to encounter a meal that Sriracha doesn’t make better. Chicken? Throw some of the stuff on it. Hamburgers? More like shamburgers if I don’t spot a bottle of Sriracha near it. Hell, it even goes brilliantly on ice cream if the mood/ brick to the head strikes you. But finding original recipe Sriracha locally, isn’t easy.
I’m prefacing this right now by saying that the Huy Fung Sriracha is the undisputed champ, now and forever. Like a WWE title reign powered by an entire roster of heels. And while Huy Fung Sriracha has gone global, you’d be hard-pressed to find it locally. This I know, as I’d usually bring back a few bottles of the stuff when returning from a US trip. Target knows my face and taste by heart now.
That’s not to say that you can’t find the magnificent hot sauce locally. If you’ve never tried it, Sriracha tastes like a combination of garlic and heat, with just the right amount of flavour added in for good measure. It has of course given rise to a wave of pretenders, who would dethrone the Huy Fung company from their iron throne. But are the local options any good?
If you’re hungry to find out, you’ve got three easy to find choices:
Suree Sriracha
Out of the three brands I tried out, the Suree variant probably comes the closest to emulating the flavour of Huy Fung’s trademark cock sauce. It’s got the burn, it has the colour and it certainly has the flavour to match all the requirements necessary to be considered a Sriracha sauce. Suree’s key difference however, may be in its viscosity.
Unlike regular Sriracha which is a sticky thick sauce at times, Suree brand sauce is looser. That’s not entirely a bad thing however, as that makes it easier to get out of the bottle and onto your meal. It’s a damn good substitute to the real stuff, Stevia Coke to the usual diabetes in a can if you will. It’s possibly my favourite sauce on this list, and I’m already halfway through the stuff after less than a month. I’m going to have to order more.
Nhan Con Ngong Bay Sriracha
You’ve heard of the hot cock, now make room for the flying goose brand! This was the first Sriracha variant that I managed to get my hands on locally a few years ago, and it didn’t disappoint. While the Huy Fung Sriracha has a distinctive garlic flavour, the bottle I found at Woolworths offered a heavier focus on the actual flavour of the chilli used inside.
Sweeter, but in a subtle manner that gave it an edge. It still has that wonderful bite to it, and I’d wager that it’s just as sticky as the original stuff coming out of the bottle. Like the Suree brand, it’s also bottled and manufactured in Thailand, for that that extra dash of authenticity. And really, you can’t go wrong with having a bottle of this stuff around as a gateway sauce.
Flaming Tiger Sriracha
And last on the local list, is Flaming Tiger Sriracha. Produced locally as well, it has all the qualifications that you’d look for in a Sriracha: Green cap, red bottle and most of the same ingredients. It’s also crap. See, the thing is with the Suree and Flying Goose variants are that they still taste good, even if they are imitations of the real deal. I wouldn’t turn my nose up at either of them if they were the only option on the table.
Flaming Tiger however, tastes like an ersatz version of Sriracha. It’s got a horrid aftertaste, is too sweet and the colour looks sickly at best. I don’t just dislike the stuff, I properly hate and despise it. In my new world order, ruining Sriracha will be a capital crime along with allowing Steve Hofmeyr to speak in public.
There’s just something wrong with the stuff, although I’d be the first to admit that taste is subjective. Still, it’s an opinion that I don’t think that I’ll be sharing on my lonesome.
And that’s it! You can find 2/3 of the good stuff online at places like YuppieChef, or in retail shops such as Pick ‘N Pay, Checkers or the whitest place on Earth: Woolworths Food Market. Prices aren’t too bad either, with a bottle setting you back between R60-R75 depending on the market. But it’s a bottle that goes a long way towards making everything on your plate taste of awesome and fire.
Last Updated: February 2, 2017
Ottokie
February 2, 2017 at 12:36
No more AMD vs Nvidia. Shyt just got real!
Nhan Con Ngong Bay Sriracha FTW!!!
PurplePariah
February 2, 2017 at 12:41
When are you going to review real chilli sauce?
Ottokie
February 2, 2017 at 12:42
And peri peri sauce!
Original Heretic
February 2, 2017 at 12:43
Peri peri sauce is terrible. No taste to it, except burn. Pointless.
PurplePariah
February 2, 2017 at 12:44
You need some real peri peri sauce then. Bird’s eye chilli, vinegar, touch of sugar, garlic, pickled green chillies. Mmmm. Flavour explosion.
Original Heretic
February 2, 2017 at 12:49
If it has flavour, I’m all for it. I love spicy food and spicy sauces, but not the stuff some okes makes that purely meant just to burn your tastebuds off. It’s gotta have flavour, otherwise it’s just a retarded form of tongue mutilation.
Ottokie
February 2, 2017 at 12:49
Blend some jalapenos in there with a lot of olive oil and lime juice 😛
PurplePariah
February 2, 2017 at 12:49
Green chillies cover that. Add for taste or burn, depending on what you want specifically.
Ottokie
February 2, 2017 at 12:50
As long as you get an even burn on all parts and not just ignite my lips up to the temp of the sun I am happy.
PurplePariah
February 2, 2017 at 12:51
Well if you want that, add some habanero. Some people like the extra burn. I prefer a good balance, flavour and burn.
Ottokie
February 2, 2017 at 12:52
Indeed. Balance is key. Any idiot can moer a ton of chili seeds into olive oil with garlic and blend it. Making “real” peri peri sauce is an art.
PurplePariah
February 2, 2017 at 12:54
I have a colleague that uses pizza as a delivery mechanism for her chillies. Straight chillies. You can’t see the pizza until she lifts it off the table, it looks like a plate of chillies. It’s dumb as fuck.
Ottokie
February 2, 2017 at 12:45
A lot and I mean A LOT of people cant make peri peri sauce to save their life. But you do get some very nice ones out there. We make our own peri peri sauce from scratch mostly for chicken wings on the braai or prawns.
HvR
February 2, 2017 at 13:29
Almost like ….. Sriracha just without the garlic
Geoffrey Tim
February 2, 2017 at 12:44
I got so bored of Sriracha. IT;s great for tyurning shit asian food less shit, but not much else. Give me a Korean gochujang-based sauce any day. Stuff like Ssamjang.
Viking Of Science
February 2, 2017 at 12:47
But what about Sambal Oelek?
Geoffrey Tim
February 2, 2017 at 12:50
I love a good sambal olek; Indonesian cuisine is great. The korean stuff is, truthfully similar – but because it’s fermented, it gets a much greater depth of flavour. So the sambal olek is great for when you want something perhaps a little lighter, fresher and zestier.
PurplePariah
February 2, 2017 at 12:49
Locally I really love the flavours of the different Eish Chilli sauces. I don’t know if you can get that up north, but they’re available in Cape Town.
HvR
February 2, 2017 at 13:38
With you on that, it is flat tasting chilli sauce. 99% of hipsters will not be able to tell the difference between Sriracha and old HQ Foods Chilli sauce in a blind taste test
miaau
February 2, 2017 at 15:50
And good old fashioned South African Chutney? Personally, and this is not just because I cannot have sugar, I hate it. But I know many people love the flavour profile to brings to food.
HvR
February 2, 2017 at 15:59
BUt you chutney, Balls chutney and then the most wondrous flavourfull sweet and sour chutney my aunt makes from peaches and apricots.
And also new jalapeno chutney from antie balls is the bomb.
Geoffrey Tim
February 2, 2017 at 17:30
I’m not a fan if chutney at all; far, far too sweet for me. I cant take sugar too much. I’ll have it with a curry or a bobotie , but generall avoid the stuff otherwise.
Admiral Chief
February 3, 2017 at 08:13
Ssamjang? Is that the fake Samsung brand?
The D
February 2, 2017 at 12:53
Got any recommendations?
PurplePariah
February 2, 2017 at 12:54
Actually yeah:
http://eishchilli.co.za/
Ottokie
February 2, 2017 at 13:02
Not ones that turn you into spiderman again.
Spathi
February 2, 2017 at 14:25
One of the grossest things I’ve ever seen!
Raptor Rants
February 2, 2017 at 12:42
HGGGGGGGGGGGNNNNNNNNNNNNNN. Now I need to go home and have a cheese and Sriracha sammich!
Ottokie
February 2, 2017 at 12:43
Sunny side up eggs on toast with Sriracha… *drools*
Raptor Rants
February 2, 2017 at 12:50
HHGNNNNNNNNGNGNGNGNGNNGNGNG
Lu
February 2, 2017 at 12:54
Or a chicken-mayo cheese with Sriracha.
Raptor Rants
February 2, 2017 at 13:15
STAHP
HUUUUUUNGRY
Original Heretic
February 2, 2017 at 12:42
Darryn, I have scoured PE to find this stuff, but to no avail! I found some at the Spar down in Humerail a few months back, then never again.
Which P’n’P and Checkers do you find at it in the Windy City?!
(don’t even mention WW to me, I hate that place and refuse to support it)
Ottokie
February 2, 2017 at 12:46
Checkers Hyper almost always has them in stock.
Original Heretic
February 2, 2017 at 12:47
Not in PE…
Viking Of Science
February 2, 2017 at 12:48
Solution: Move out of PE 😛
PurplePariah
February 2, 2017 at 12:50
Seems like the most efficient, win-win solution to me. 😛
Original Heretic
February 2, 2017 at 12:50
If only it were that simple for me…
Ottokie
February 2, 2017 at 12:48
I always thought people were joking when they say there is nothing in PE…so I guess the rumors are true O.o
Raptor Rants
February 2, 2017 at 12:50
But isn’t Darryn from PE? So how does he find?
Original Heretic
February 2, 2017 at 12:51
Hence why I asked him the question! I am awaiting his response, if he so chooses to do so.
PurplePariah
February 2, 2017 at 12:52
Well it IS Darryn. He could be sacrificing babies to the Overlord for some. You never know.
The D
February 2, 2017 at 12:53
You leave my Daedric religion out of this.
PurplePariah
February 2, 2017 at 12:56
I KNEW IT!
The D
February 2, 2017 at 12:52
Check Woolworths (SORRY BUD!). I’ve seen the stuff for sale at the Miramar Woolworths near Builder Warehouse, and also Walmer Park. Otherwise, you can order Suree Sriracha online from Yuppiechef.
PurplePariah
February 2, 2017 at 12:52
Suree you can.
Original Heretic
February 2, 2017 at 12:54
Gaaah! I hate Woolworths and their snooty ways!
Guess the online route is the way for me then….
miaau
February 2, 2017 at 15:30
yeah, we buy from Woolworth online a lot too. Very convenient!
Original Heretic
February 2, 2017 at 15:35
NOT from WW online. Refuse to support them. Darryn mentioned Yuppiechef, I’ll give them a bash.
miaau
February 2, 2017 at 15:39
You talk about wanting good prices and mention Yuppiechef? Sjoe. We have been ripped off, buying without checking elsewhere.
We buy most of our stuff online, shopping is for small stuff. And only PicknPay and Woolworths deliver food and groceries, so we compare prices online (also Checkers) and then buy what is priced ok from the two online suppliers and make a smaller list for Checkers.
Original Heretic
February 2, 2017 at 15:41
I’ll look elsewhere then, when I get a chance to.
As I’ve read, you’ve had good experiences with WW.
As you can gather from my strong reaction against them, I’ve had very bad experiences with them.
miaau
February 2, 2017 at 15:42
Oh, we have also had SUPER BAD experiences with them AND Pick n Pay. Delivering Chicken, 4 KGs, that expired last week, for example.
miaau
February 2, 2017 at 15:47
Do not misunderstand me, Yuppichef has awesome stuff.
BUT we paid R99 a mug, Maxwell Williams, in a hurry, and then found several other vendors had them for R55.
Original Heretic
February 2, 2017 at 15:49
I can bargain hunt. I’ll check their prices and also take a look around at other places.
I know Yuppiechef is good, one of my mates (who happens to be a pretty damn good chef, but doesn’t work in the industry, what a bloody waste) swears by them.
miaau
February 2, 2017 at 15:51
Yeah, my wife normally does the bargain hunt stuff very well. Then tells me Friday night, on Saturday we drive there for X, there for Y and so forth.
BUT she sometimes discounts the travel cost, so saving R50, but driving a 40km roundtrip, is just not worth it.
HvR
February 2, 2017 at 16:01
LOL, Yuppiechef are for people who think Woolworths is to common.
Original Heretic
February 2, 2017 at 16:21
I don’t think WW is common, I just detest them.
Gavin Mannion
February 2, 2017 at 12:54
He said don’t mention Woolworths you plank
The D
February 2, 2017 at 12:54
If you want Sriracha, be prepared to do terrible things.
Gavin Mannion
February 2, 2017 at 12:55
I’ll do terrible things to you
HvR
February 2, 2017 at 13:30
Bowchikiwowwow
miaau
February 2, 2017 at 15:41
That is weird. Cause Sriracha will do terrible things to me.
Nandos Lemon and Herb is getting too spicy for me.
Original Heretic
February 2, 2017 at 15:42
To each their own.
Personally, I was basically weaned on spicy food since about the age of 5, so the spicy stuff totally agrees with my constitution.
miaau
February 2, 2017 at 15:48
Yeah, that is it. My family NEVER ate anything spicy, so I break out in sweats very easily from even very slightly hot food.
Gavin Mannion
February 2, 2017 at 12:54
I despise WW and refuse to shop there.. all they do is screw over the local manufacturers and sell overpriced crap.. HATE THEM
Original Heretic
February 2, 2017 at 12:55
Upvoters unite for this comment!
Raptor Rants
February 2, 2017 at 13:17
I can’t understand how people are ok with their prices.
R25 a pie? GITFS
Ricardo Harvey
February 2, 2017 at 13:05
Checkers had theirs going for R35 a few weeks back 🙂
Magoo
February 2, 2017 at 14:02
I don’t know what anyone here is talking about. Perinaise is about as exotic as it gets for me.
Admiral Chief
February 3, 2017 at 08:08
Dammit, missed this article.
DEMMMMMMIT
Admiral Chief
February 3, 2017 at 08:10
Quick glance at the comments, and I really cannot understand the WW hate.
Fruit/veg is the best, and sometimes better priced.
Meat is kak expensive mostly, but quality.
Prepared meals are kak expensive, but sometimes nice on special, and delicious.
We shop there at least once a week, but mainly buy the specials, and it works us out cheaper than Spar or PnP and def Checkers (checkers can gitmfs)
Admiral Chief
February 3, 2017 at 08:12
Flying goose FTW