The Strange Connection Between Sriracha And Hula Hoops You Never Knew About

Sriracha has a cult following in the world of hot sauces, and for good reason. This sauce not only packs a punch as an ingredient in recipes, but also works great as a dipping sauce for everything from fries to chicken nuggets, and creates a perfect drizzle on meats, fish, and even sushi. But did you know that one of the most popular brands of sriracha is made in a former hula hoop factory? Vietnamese American immigrant David Tran, the man behind beloved Huoy Fong Sriracha or "rooster bottle" sriracha, took over a former toy factory, previously owned by the company behind hula hoops, in the 1980s to produce his signature product.

While many sriracha enthusiasts think of Huoy Fong Sriracha and remember the supply chain issues and shortages of the 2020s, or the controversy around the changes in the sauce's formula, fewer people know that it's made in a California factory that once produced hula hoops and other toys. This plant in Irwindale, California, has been popular as a tourist attraction since the 2010s, and even after the temporary production halts, remains popular with visitors — although less so with Irwindale locals, who have complained of the smell of peppers that can emanate during spice-grinding season. In an answer to their complaints, Tran placed a banner in the factory reassuring visitors that only hot sauce, and not tear gas, is produced on site.

While the first "official" srirachas date back to Thailand in the 1930s, sriracha's true origin remains a mystery. The beloved condiment gets its name from the town and district of Si Racha, Thailand, the home of a woman named Thanom Chakkapak, who took her family recipe and produced the first commercially available thick and spicy sriracha. However, Chakkapak was likely not the first person to create the sauce, and there is speculation that, although the sriracha people today know and love is considered a Southeast Asian sauce, it may have roots in Chinese cooking and was brought to Thailand and Vietnam by immigrants from China.

Today, sriracha is used in Thailand primarily as a dipping sauce for fried seafood, egg dishes, and other items. In Vietnam, it's often used to top pho and other dishes. Elsewhere, including in North America, sriracha mayo became popular in the 2010s and is enjoyed today as a condiment on burgers, sandwiches, salads, and more. Moreover, variations on "classic" sriracha are now available to purchase, including one that fuses the spicy sauce with another condiment famous for heat, in the form of Tabasco sriracha.

While sriracha as a dipping sauce or topping is well known, it can also be used as an ingredient in hot dishes and baking. If you have a bottle of sriracha in your kitchen to drizzle on scrambled eggs or top sandwiches, consider bringing it out when you're cooking. Home cooks can whip up a batch of sriracha-glazed chicken or a sweet-and-spicy sriracha salmon fillet.

Things really amp up when it comes to sriracha and desserts. While the combination of spicy, savory, flavorful sriracha with a sweet dessert may not sound appealing at first, you shouldn't knock it until you've tried it, as the availability of abundant sriracha dessert recipes proves. Add a kick to a chocolate treat with sriracha brownies, or work the sweet-and-spicy angle with sriracha peach crisp. For a mix of sweet and spicy, hot and cold, and so wrong it's right, you can even make your very own sriracha ice cream.