Sriracha
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Every diet
A teaspoon has under a gram of sugar, a bottleful has a good deal more.
There is no onion in the classic recipe, and the garlic in a teaspoon is a small enough amount.
Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.
Rules by country
Sriracha is a food and carries no E-number, so it sits outside the additive system. It is covered by the general rules for sauces and by allergen labelling for whatever it contains. Where it uses additives such as xanthan gum or a sulfite preservative, those have to be named on the ingredient list.
What is it?
The bottle sold as Sriracha in the United States is made from red chilies, sugar, salt, garlic, distilled white vinegar, xanthan gum for the thickness and potassium bisulfite as a preservative. It is sweet rather than fierce, with the heat sitting around the level of a jalapeño. It is also not the same product as the chili garlic sauce sold in Asian grocery stores, which is made from flaked dried chilies and is thinner and sharper, or as the fermented bean and chili paste used in Chinese cooking.
Where it comes from: Sriracha is a chili sauce built from red chilies, garlic, sugar, salt and white vinegar, blitzed smooth. The American version was developed in California in the 1980s, and its thick, glossy body comes from a plant gum rather than from the chilies themselves.
Why it’s in food
- Adding heat to a sauce
- Topping noodles and rice bowls
- Marinating chicken and seafood
- Stirring into aioli or mayo
- Seafood boils and wings
Often found in
Also listed as: Sriracha, Sriracha sauce, Sriracha hot sauce, Chili garlic sauce
Health & gut impact
A tablespoon of the American bottle carries about 1 gram of sugar, and a teaspoon holds roughly a quarter of that. It is not much on its own, but sriracha is poured straight from the bottle more often than it is measured.
USDA FoodData Central, sriracha
The same tablespoon holds roughly 240 milligrams of sodium, about a tenth of the 2,300 milligram daily limit used in the United States, and a whole bottle used as a dip is a far bigger share of a day's salt than the label suggests.
USDA FoodData Central, sriracha
The classic American bottle contains potassium bisulfite, and sulfites are among the few additives that have to be named on the label, because they cause a reaction in a small number of people with asthma or sulfite sensitivity.
European Commission Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008
What can I use instead?
Related
More sauces & dressings:
Common questions
Is sriracha the same as chili garlic sauce?
No. Sriracha is a smooth American sauce built from fresh red chilies, garlic, sugar and vinegar, with a plant gum that makes it thick and glossy. The chili garlic sauce sold in Asian shops is coarser, sharper and made with flaked dried chilies.
Is sriracha spicy?
Mildly. The American bottle sits at roughly 2,500 Scoville units, around the level of a jalapeño, and the sugar and the vinegar balance most of the heat. The red rooster on the label is the hot sauce, not the sriracha.
Is sriracha gluten-free?
Usually, because the recipe is built on vinegar rather than on soy sauce. A few brands add wheat starch for body, so read the ingredients if gluten matters to you.
Does sriracha have sugar in it?
Yes, about 1 gram in a tablespoon. That is small for a single spoonful, but sriracha tends to be poured from the bottle rather than measured, and a whole bottle used as a dip turns a small amount into a large one.
Is Sriracha safe?
Use in moderation (76/100). Sriracha is a food and carries no E-number, so it sits outside the additive system. It is covered by the general rules for sauces and by allergen labelling for whatever it contains. Where it uses additives such as xanthan gum or a sulfite preservative, those have to be named on the ingredient list.
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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
- USDA FoodData Central, sriracha
- European Commission Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008