How Did The Sriracha Shortage Happen?

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  • čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
  • Huy Fong Foods, owner of the iconic green-capped sriracha hot sauce, has been experiencing a shortage of red jalapeño chili peppers, a key ingredient in the sauce, for about three years. The company has cited weather-related issues to be the cause. But Huy Fong Foods' former pepper supplier of 28 years, Underwood Ranches, told CNBC there's a lot more to the story.
    Chapters:
    00:00 - Introduction
    02:45 - Short supply
    04:45 - Building a business
    06:30 - Supplier relations
    09:20 - Pivoting
    12:25 - Looking ahead
    Produced and Edited by: Ryan Baker
    Shot by: Andrew Evers
    Animation: Jason Reginato
    Senior Managing Producer: Tala Hadavi
    Additional Sources: The Associated Press, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times
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    How Did The Sriracha Shortage Happen?

Komentáře • 4K

  • @harrisoakley711
    @harrisoakley711 Před 9 měsíci +4266

    The Huy Fong's kid got their business and MBA degree. They tried to find the cheapest supplier of pepper. However, the MBA school did not teach them the meaning of loyalty.

    • @lozoft9
      @lozoft9 Před 9 měsíci +306

      It would've been fine if they had been honest that they needed a cheaper supplier and just tapered down the amount purchased from Underwood.

    • @chinogambino9375
      @chinogambino9375 Před 9 měsíci +890

      Burning your sole supplier with a proven record of growth, delivery and quality over a few million dollars and to save pennies per bottle isn't smart business. The cost of reputation and disruptions in supply have ended their record profits. Plus they are a private business, they don't need to chase quarterly earnings for shareholders. His son is just an idiot.

    • @benisrood
      @benisrood Před 9 měsíci

      @@chinogambino9375 100%

    • @andrewlim7751
      @andrewlim7751 Před 9 měsíci +180

      Its strange mba don't include goodwill build over the years in their programs. 😂😂

    • @jsboeve
      @jsboeve Před 9 měsíci

      @@chinogambino9375 When maximizing next quarter's profits is the only thing driving your decision making your business will decline. His son's poor management also opened the market for competition. I found a sriracha I like better, the Trader Joe's one, and I never would have even considered trying different brands but I was forced to due to the self-inflicted shortage.

  • @mycowboyways915
    @mycowboyways915 Před 9 měsíci +477

    Walmart did a deal like this with pickles. finally the producer/grower got tired of being lowballed by Walmart about his prices. He secretly started contracting all the cucumber production he could and when he declined to meet Walmarts production price they cut him off. What they didn't count on was no other company could ramp up production because now one guy held all the cucumber production for 3-5 year and wouldn't sell to anyone working with Walmart. Finally Walmart caved but it cost them dearly. And they deserve it.

    • @markiangooley
      @markiangooley Před 7 měsíci +22

      Walmart alienates a lot of suppliers. I recall getting various goodies at my nearest Walmart at bargain prices but sooner or later they disappear when Walmart squeezes too hard.

    • @HepCatJack
      @HepCatJack Před 7 měsíci +12

      Wallmart has exclusivity contracts but they don't buy imperfect produce, if they're going to have exclusivity they should buy everything from the producer and the imperfect veggies could be chopped up for the frozen food section, pickles or used as ingredients in Walmart branded foods. There is an enormous amount of rejected food ending up in landfills every year rejected for reasons such as lack of symmetry in carrots or deformity in pumpkins.

    • @gonzarellious6102
      @gonzarellious6102 Před 7 měsíci +7

      @@HepCatJack and yet somehow, the majority of produce I've ever gotten from walmart has tasted absolutely terrible. They look normal, but they are not. I'd rather pay more and go elsewhere.

    • @HepCatJack
      @HepCatJack Před 7 měsíci +6

      @@gonzarellious6102 this could be GMO produce engineered to withstand transportation to far away places at the cost of taste.

    • @GrantM.-gx2kn
      @GrantM.-gx2kn Před 6 měsíci +1

      Here in Canada they bragged that Canadians are gobbling up the GMO salmon at record pace, but then admit that its sold unmarked at mystery stores. I dont eat salmon anymore. When you have things like Epicyte, you know they not only just dont care, but they just dont want you. @@HepCatJack

  • @kevinmach730
    @kevinmach730 Před 7 měsíci +50

    I'm more impressed you got a grocery store to not only answer a phone, but also assist you in finding out whether or not they had a product.

  • @AwokenEntertainment
    @AwokenEntertainment Před 8 měsíci +84

    wow.. definitely many lessons about loyalty and relationships to be learned from this story

    • @stevenmike1878
      @stevenmike1878 Před 8 měsíci +1

      i remember seeing a video of a master sushi chef, and a part i never forgot was the loyalty and honor system between the chef and the supplier. the chef would never ask or haggle on the price of the fish or cut him out by going to other vendors, while the vendor or supplier would only supply his best fish and if the fish was not of good quality he would not sell the chef the fish, as his reputation was attached to the fish as well. as a result the chef would only be supplied with the best ingredients which was a pain staking task for the vendor to gather. loosing a vendor to a master sushi chef is a massive blow.
      huy fong made a massive blunder by under cutting the supplier who dedicated himself to making a whole supply chain system to give them the best peppers. when it comes to book keeping the supplier has to sell all his perishable goods. if the buyer decides to cut out the supplier right as he has dedicated himself to gathering/growing those supplies. sure the buyer might save a few pennies, but it royally screws over the supplier as he has a bunch of goods that has to be liquidated or they will expire.

    • @boodge.
      @boodge. Před 4 měsíci

      Sriracha is gross and people that like it have no taste, like women that buy Stanley cups. Or something like that.

  • @Ms2cents
    @Ms2cents Před 9 měsíci +829

    Asian American here. I’m with the farmer. It’s so uncharacteristic of the founder to do shady business like he did on this one and I believe his relatives who’s helping him run the business are the ones behind it. He’s never the greedy kind from interviews I’ve seen of him. He’s had a GREAT relationship with his supplier for a long time which helped grew his business tremendously. Why would you suddenly risk losing this relationship? Loyalty is very important and rare in business and what helps you grow your business but in only takes one act of GREED to destroy it. Most will never get it back ever again because they will always be wary of you and have trust issues with you.

    • @AWildBard
      @AWildBard Před 9 měsíci +80

      yeah, no doubt the old man was an awesome guy
      maybe his kids went to business school and wanted to "vertically integrate" or something
      That would be a great idea, but it seems like there was an internal conflict within the company, because they signed contracts with the farmer but then later tried to back out of it, get other suppliers and finally tried to steal the farm essentially. Someone in his company or family fought for a change in direction, but didn't think it through thoroughly.
      It seems like they almost killed the goose that laid golden eggs.

    • @sinan2.71
      @sinan2.71 Před 9 měsíci +7

      This kind of reminds me of the disappearance of Rye-Crisp.

    • @jimellis1810
      @jimellis1810 Před 9 měsíci +38

      Bingo, you are right. This is due to HIS children born and raised in the USA.

    • @KellyKelly-qd7my
      @KellyKelly-qd7my Před 9 měsíci

      Good. Im not buying this garbage again.
      They are using xanthan gum aka poop of a pathogenic bacteria as a thickener 😱

    • @malnik77
      @malnik77 Před 9 měsíci +21

      There is a part of the story where it mentioned the farmer overcharge HF for $1.5 million. That might have been the cause of HF wanting to cancel the contract.

  • @ninjanerdstudent6937
    @ninjanerdstudent6937 Před 9 měsíci +1302

    I had a bunch of bottles in the cupboard that I forgot about. After hearing of the shortage, I started using it. I forgot how good the stuff is. It goes with pizza, tortilla chips with hummus, tostadas, or just about anything.

    • @romeoh4859
      @romeoh4859 Před 9 měsíci +161

      That's was a smooth yet evil flex.

    • @sebastian3004
      @sebastian3004 Před 9 měsíci +62

      Placebo. You feel like you are superior because others can't get it.

    • @BoondockGore
      @BoondockGore Před 9 měsíci +32

      Sell it online. They're going for more than slightly tastier pizza

    • @franklin3271
      @franklin3271 Před 9 měsíci +8

      Vanilla Ice cream.

    • @Dawn-zo2ny
      @Dawn-zo2ny Před 9 měsíci +6

      i only had 2 different brands of Sriracha, the one in this video, and Yellowbird, and i can't imagine any other Sriracha better than Yellowbird...Pricier...Whole foods has bigger bottles at a better price than the normally small bottles, though it's still not a huge bottle.....

  • @jesse021891
    @jesse021891 Před 6 měsíci +3

    So much respect lost for Huy Fong. I’m 100% with the farmer.

  • @aashilr
    @aashilr Před 9 měsíci +218

    FYI you can get Sriracha directly from Underwood Ranch. I recently bought their Dragon Sriracha which is same flavor as Huy Fong Sriracha. I also got their normal sriracha sauce & it's a bit too sweet, so definitely recommend the Dragon one.

    • @sebastianfjorn
      @sebastianfjorn Před 8 měsíci +8

      NICE!

    • @dapperdan2658
      @dapperdan2658 Před 8 měsíci +6

      thank you!

    • @boostedmaniac
      @boostedmaniac Před 8 měsíci +4

      Thanks. I might have to try it. I’m on my last bottle of Huy fong.

    • @7jcjg
      @7jcjg Před 8 měsíci +2

      not in canada :(

    • @00dfm00
      @00dfm00 Před 8 měsíci +2

      Sold out on Amazon and direct and everywhere else.

  • @erictaylor5462
    @erictaylor5462 Před 9 měsíci +1187

    My dad tried growing Jalapeño Peppers in his garden and they came out tasting like bell peppers, no heat at all.
    He worked with a guy who made his own hot sauce (it was really really good btw) and he asked how much water my dad gave them. Turns out you have to stress the plants, giving them just enough water to keep them alive. The more water you give them beyond what they need to survive the lass hot they will me.
    Dad's next batch were very hot.

    • @cadthunkin
      @cadthunkin Před 9 měsíci +61

      oh, no wonder my home grown peppers were so hot one year. The soil I used drained too well and I realized it late, and even a nibble of the peppers was lava hot.

    • @Derideo
      @Derideo Před 9 měsíci +107

      Same goes for wine, have to stress the vine for the best results. Same goes for Cannabis, same goes for humans too.

    • @rRobertSmith
      @rRobertSmith Před 9 měsíci +12

      Drying the peppers out after harvest works to increase the hotness also.

    • @paanne1013
      @paanne1013 Před 9 měsíci +22

      Too much water makes a mild pepper, less water, the hotter the pepper. Lived in New Mexico for years and found out the hard way.

    • @The_Ballo
      @The_Ballo Před 9 měsíci +20

      He probably learned that from someone who didn't pronounce it hala pain yo

  • @bullfrogger1208
    @bullfrogger1208 Před 9 měsíci +133

    Huy Fong should have honored their end of the agreement. I can't imagine having a thousand acres of chiles and suddenly no buyer. Then to find out they allowed you to grow them, knowing full well that they had no intention of taking delivery, would be grounds for war. There are places where if you do a neighbor like that, you'll wish you had sold out and moved. You would have to drive 2 towns over to get a cup of coffee.

    • @PrometheusZandski
      @PrometheusZandski Před 5 měsíci

      Huy Fong is a study in greed and stupidity. They will be used as bad examples for decades to come.

    • @MrLazlness
      @MrLazlness Před 5 měsíci

      Vietnamese people be like that lol. They’re like the low class Asian

    • @henryliu5566
      @henryliu5566 Před 4 měsíci +1

      That's what an mba gets you

    • @The_Quaalude
      @The_Quaalude Před 4 měsíci

      Lol whatchu gonna do about it 😂🤣

    • @PrometheusZandski
      @PrometheusZandski Před 4 měsíci +1

      @@The_Quaalude Not buy Huy Fong ever again. I've already found even better.

  • @librarianlovesrick
    @librarianlovesrick Před 9 měsíci +18

    I had NO idea this was happening. My son saw some in my fridge a month ago and commented on it -- then my daughter yesterday. She asked "where did you get this Siracha" - She seemed pretty excited about it - I said I don't know I guess it has been in there a while, you can take it." Then today is the first time I hear there is a shortage. Neither kid had told me - I guess both my son and daughter assumed I knew and were both so excited about that bottle! LOL It is in the fridge now and not being used!

  • @csr326
    @csr326 Před 8 měsíci +13

    You can find sriracha hot sauce anywhere. Huy Fong brand is the one you have a hard time finding cause they now use a different suppliers, then from the farm that use to supply them that was located 50 miles away. Their sauce doesn’t taste the same anymore

    • @erictriplett33
      @erictriplett33 Před 8 měsíci +1

      Yeah, but none of the other brands taste like the Huy Fong, either ... big difference in taste

  • @quail4sale334
    @quail4sale334 Před 9 měsíci +1184

    It's important to note that the city of Irwindale INVITED the company to build the new plant there, and the residents & farmers celebrated the new jobs! Then the city shut the plant down because of the smell of crushed peppers. That's a pretty 🍆move!

    • @kashmirha
      @kashmirha Před 9 měsíci +51

      Obviiously this is a technology question. You can precess chilli without having the neighbourhood cry if a wind start to blow...

    • @KiTheMC
      @KiTheMC Před 9 měsíci +134

      I've been literally inside the factory during production and the smell isn't even that bad! Ridiculous. The smell is 100% worth the jobs. There are actual dangerous chemicals in the air/water that California should be worrying about instead of taking away jobs.

    • @zacharythornton1904
      @zacharythornton1904 Před 9 měsíci +17

      @@kashmirhaweed indoor farmers use carbon filters

    • @Tairone1337
      @Tairone1337 Před 9 měsíci

      Racist folks didn’t want the company in their town

    • @journeyman6752
      @journeyman6752 Před 9 měsíci +10

      That's CA..

  • @fcon2002
    @fcon2002 Před 9 měsíci +337

    I live in the city next to Irwindale (where the processing plant is), and my wife works in that city. I think it was in 2013, the owner had a big celebration and invited the public to come in and see the plant. Every person on the tour got a medium sized bottle of siracha, siracha ice cream, got to see dragon dancers, take handfuls of free jalepeno peppers, and meet the founder and take pictures with him. I have a picture of him with my family. He had an important message for all of us... America was truly the land of opportunity and he was very greatful to this country. I dont know why things got bad, but he seemed to be a great guy.

    • @wingolden
      @wingolden Před 9 měsíci +18

      At least the owner is an innovative , industrious entrepreneur who brought economy and livelihood to the community. We need people like him in America, not those who whine whine whine. It’s not after short supply before we realized how much we missed the yummy sauce.

    • @WiLDCHiLD.
      @WiLDCHiLD. Před 9 měsíci +39

      He got greedy. Plain and simple. It's why he failed.

    • @eksine
      @eksine Před 9 měsíci +15

      @@WiLDCHiLD. still in business, didn't fail, just ruined his profits for years

    • @rosex3271
      @rosex3271 Před 9 měsíci

      @@WiLDCHiLD. Why did Underwood farm sold their crops per acre and not per lb⁉️🙄😒🤔 It sounded fishy and it would be a rip off if the farm didn't produce as much as they should‼️ 😰🤬
      Talk about "greedy" almost all businesses are greedy for profit, isn't it ⁉️ 🙄🤔

    • @shaggydawg5419
      @shaggydawg5419 Před 9 měsíci +47

      @@WiLDCHiLD. may have been the kid(s) or the next gen who's taking over the business. It has not failed yet but if they keep at it, consumers will adjust their tastebud to other hot sauce and completely forget and/or lose interest in their sauce. Many don't mind getting gouged but I for one refuse to pay $10 for a bottle of Huy Fong Sriracha which is the current market price.

  • @riceburner3124
    @riceburner3124 Před 7 měsíci +5

    I am ashamed of Tran and Company for not honoring their contracts and ruining a tried and true partnership.

  • @jasonking7729
    @jasonking7729 Před 4 měsíci +24

    What a bummer. My favorite sauce! When Sriracha returned recently, for a hot minute, I heard it tasted sour and disappointing. I think Underwood's pepper process was a major part of the success.

    • @justinschoi93
      @justinschoi93 Před 4 měsíci +1

      Also, considering how the peppers are grown not only in California, but also in New Mexico and Mexico, (mostly Mexico), the variation in climates and growing conditions inevitably results in high variation between yields.
      The bottom line: It's most likely got a lot more likely that the flavor has more to do with the propietary blend of salt, sugar, vinegar, garlic, etc. than it's got to do with the actual peppers. It'd be the only way to keep the flavor consistent.

  • @chinchye
    @chinchye Před 9 měsíci +97

    never ever mess with your suppliers! You would think this is 101 but many businesses bizarrely doesn’t understand this rule. (especially small businesses). When the going gets bad, it is easiest to stop paying your suppliers as a stop gap measure. But this almost ensures the start of a death spiral.

    • @stevenmike1878
      @stevenmike1878 Před 8 měsíci +1

      i remember seeing a video of a master sushi chef, and a part i never forgot was the loyalty and honor system between the chef and the supplier. the chef would never ask or haggle on the price of the fish or cut him out by going to other vendors, while the vendor or supplier would only supply his best fish and if the fish was not of good quality he would not sell the chef the fish, as his reputation was attached to the fish as well. as a result the chef would only be supplied with the best ingredients which was a pain staking task for the vendor to gather. loosing a vendor to a master sushi chef is a massive blow.
      huy fong made a massive blunder by under cutting the supplier who dedicated himself to making a whole supply chain system to give them the best peppers. when it comes to book keeping the supplier has to sell all his perishable goods. if the buyer decides to cut out the supplier right as he has dedicated himself to gathering/growing those supplies. sure the buyer might save a few pennies, but it royally screws over the supplier as he has a bunch of goods that has to be liquidated or they will expire.

  • @seth111yta1
    @seth111yta1 Před 9 měsíci +66

    the only thing harder to find than the sauce, is actual info about what's been happening. thank you.

    • @boodge.
      @boodge. Před 4 měsíci

      Sriracha is gross and needs sugar? Ew.

    • @gothghanistan
      @gothghanistan Před 4 měsíci

      @@boodge. baseddd

  • @Mike-rf5tz
    @Mike-rf5tz Před 8 měsíci +2

    I've bought many, many bottles of Huy Fong sriracha sauce over the years. After watching this, I've bought my last bottle. I'll be switching brands, possibly Underwood Ranches.

  • @FraserM
    @FraserM Před 8 měsíci +4

    Thank you for this story ... I had no idea. Now I do. UR, you've got a new customer for life, you did the right thing.

  • @blufilmsesa
    @blufilmsesa Před 9 měsíci +240

    Story doesn't really add up. Don't think Huy Fong was money hungry enough to destroy relations with his long time supplier. He never patented his recipe. He never advertised his product. He never chased people down for copying his product. He never went after merchandising of his product. He always believed in seeing the ingredients going into his product; old school hard-worker and ethics kind of guy. Why would a basically retired immigrant, who built his fame through slow word-of-mouth... suddenly radically try to expand using drones for espionage??? Probably children taking over got involved.

    • @sor3999
      @sor3999 Před 9 měsíci +84

      It's the children. If history tells us anything is that family businesses rarely persists passed the children or grand children.

    • @teddyruxpin3811
      @teddyruxpin3811 Před 9 měsíci +110

      I agree. The story doesn't add up and sounds biased. Back in 2013, I used to sell phone cases with Sriracha logos on them. Huy fong emailed me and said they didn't care if we did it without their permission, they just wanted some free phone cases for some of the employees. I gladly sent them a big box of phone cases for free. They were super kind.

    • @iankrasnow5383
      @iankrasnow5383 Před 9 měsíci +22

      @@teddyruxpin3811 That was smart of them not to try to stop you. Free advertising for them. You still should have asked for permission first though.

    • @xzibit8614
      @xzibit8614 Před 9 měsíci

      @@teddyruxpin3811in 2013 it was ran by the founder. He then has his kids run it now. They’re idiots

    • @aaronhunyady
      @aaronhunyady Před 9 měsíci +44

      This is CNBC. They release stories not for the sake of journalism, but for the sake of corporate investors. In this case, someone is paying them to promote Underwood Ranches. The info in the story may or may not be true.

  • @jmill09
    @jmill09 Před 9 měsíci +581

    Greed is what happened., They thought they could grow their own peppers and remove the need for other farmers.....yet realized it's really hard and they can't and now its too late. If i was one of their farmers I'd hike my prices 😅

    • @TheMadisonHang
      @TheMadisonHang Před 9 měsíci +23

      Every step along the supply chain is a science
      Everyone is fighting for their cut, my educated guess

    • @ridwanomar5351
      @ridwanomar5351 Před 9 měsíci +3

      That would my guess too.

    • @english9o99
      @english9o99 Před 9 měsíci +45

      It could be the farmer who's want more and asking too much, Huy phong food made a mistake by trust and relying his supply on one farmer to supply his need. when a company as big demand as him 2 or 3 different supplier is a must.

    • @ManabiLT
      @ManabiLT Před 9 měsíci +105

      ​@@english9o99 I guess you didn't watch the video.
      Underwood Ranches had no problem supplying the peppers Huy Fong needed. Huy Fong decided to stop buying from him, and didn't tell him until he'd already grown the crop for that year. This isn't conjecture, that's what the courts found and why Huy Fong had to pay Underwood over $20 million. It was also covered in the video. The claim about Underwood not being able to supply their demand was a lie on Huy Fong's part. Diversifying and _adding_ additional suppliers would have been a good idea, but that's not what they did. They unilaterally broke ties with their main supplier.
      The problem is _entirely_ on Huy Fong's part, and appears to have been due to greed as OP said.

    • @vinzanity68
      @vinzanity68 Před 9 měsíci +7

      Even before watching the video I had a hunch greed is involved.

  • @kymo6343
    @kymo6343 Před 8 měsíci +6

    I don't really care about Sriracha as much but I haven't been able to find 'Sambal Oelek' in forever, it came in a jar with a green lid and a gold label and was sooo good on pizza, I miss it...

  • @sandrasinanian2710
    @sandrasinanian2710 Před 8 měsíci +6

    What happens when you 'think' you know it all. A business relationship that succeeds is one that fills the need and honors the promise, it's about loyal partners, when that is breached everyone loses. But going to look for Underwood Farms Sriracha sauce.

  • @songsan807
    @songsan807 Před 9 měsíci +217

    They say there are usually 2 sides of a story in a disagreement. Watching this video it seem the reporters are more in favor of Underwood since one of the reporter stated she known the underwood owner for a long time.
    Would be interesting to get the Huy Fong's side.
    My family used to own a Chinese restaurant for about 25 years and we would buy boxes of these big Huy Fong Sriracha and put into our tables. There would be customer's that would just snatch the bottles and take them home. During that time each bottle cost us about $2 each. My daughter just brought 2 bottles of them at Amazon for $40. Wow.

    • @RealDarkBlade
      @RealDarkBlade Před 9 měsíci +64

      Correct, but they also did say that Huy Fong declined to comment...so they kinda left themselves open to this.

    • @spicydogsoup
      @spicydogsoup Před 9 měsíci +8

      @@RealDarkBlade you hear that from CNBC not from HF

    • @BennyTheButcher2
      @BennyTheButcher2 Před 9 měsíci +21

      You can read the court decisions online

    • @stevenm3914
      @stevenm3914 Před 9 měsíci +13

      @@spicydogsoup legally they cant really say that if it were a lie.

    • @Low_commotion
      @Low_commotion Před 9 měsíci +11

      @sknkwrksowner has a comment above with some inside baseball. Apparently a lot of Huy Fong's missteps came after the family and children took over, so it might be a Walmart situation where the founder of the company is a lot more competent (and compassionate) than the inheritor children.

  • @jonathanmein7907
    @jonathanmein7907 Před 9 měsíci +242

    I worked for the company that produced most of the jalapeño seed that Underwood grew and remember when the lawsuit happened. We produced a lot of seed for them.

    • @rainfang1992
      @rainfang1992 Před 9 měsíci +26

      Producing a lot of seed? That's what she said

    • @L-h8py
      @L-h8py Před 9 měsíci

      What kind of peppers are they?

    • @ogadlogadl490
      @ogadlogadl490 Před 9 měsíci +5

      What company? I’d love to buy some of those jalapeño seeds.

    • @EikottXD
      @EikottXD Před 9 měsíci +7

      @@L-h8py jalapeno. It's mentioned multiple times in the video.

    • @L-h8py
      @L-h8py Před 9 měsíci +3

      Thanks. I thought theres a certain type of jalapeños seeds.

  • @dho1665
    @dho1665 Před 8 měsíci +2

    They’re available now at the oriental market. I bought 3 large bottle.
    Large bottle $11.99
    Medium bottle $7.99

  • @salahuddinmuhammad3251
    @salahuddinmuhammad3251 Před 9 měsíci +1

    There's no shortage of sriracha, just looked in the fridge and my cabinets, I have four bottles. LOL

  • @blucheer8743
    @blucheer8743 Před 9 měsíci +165

    Getting a consistent “red” jalapeño at that scale requires a really experienced farmer. There they have the perfect set up of soil, sun, water and experience and I always thought that was the secret to huy fong’s success. there is a breaking point where you have the right amount of heat and sweetness in the pepper. On the big island of hawaii a gal has a food business “hula girl” the best red jalapeño sauce money can buy but it’s a real chore for her to produce it! She should hook up with that farmer!

    • @senianns9522
      @senianns9522 Před 9 měsíci +6

      No reasonably smart company should ever rely on a 'single supplier' for its products! Invite several suppliers to the table and get the best deal! That is business. Never get held to ransom by a single supplier!

    • @kevinfernandez9999
      @kevinfernandez9999 Před 9 měsíci

      Hook up? 😳

    • @The_Ballo
      @The_Ballo Před 9 měsíci +4

      @@kevinfernandez9999 That term used to mean something more innocent

    • @sdqsdq6274
      @sdqsdq6274 Před 9 měsíci

      @@senianns9522 hmmm if they were smart enough , they should start farming their own peppers , this brand has a long ass history , this lesson shows you your supplier will mess you up , lol

    • @sgsellsit
      @sgsellsit Před 9 měsíci +9

      Red jalapenos are just over mature jalapenos. Even heirlooms will turn red. Hybrids aren't necessary. Jalapenos are easy to grow and are very forgiving. My dad and I use to grow them every year. We usually had about 20 plants. Several years we harvested 80-125 peppers per plant. We planted in April or May and as long as you picked them green the plant would produce until first frost. We have had plants clear into November. If you let the majority of fruit turn red, the plant thinks it is going to seed and will stop producing.

  • @koolpebble
    @koolpebble Před 9 měsíci +68

    This story should be a case in point in textbooks. Don't do bad business. Huy Fong got greedy and breached their contract. In doing so, they irreparably damaged their long-time relationship with a reliable business partner which ended costing them more money than they originally thought they could save. I'm really disappointed in Huy Fong, especially as an Asian person. I was really rooting for them. I hope they learned their lesson to never ever swallow their words and be disloyal again.

    • @IzzyTheEditor
      @IzzyTheEditor Před 9 měsíci +3

      Bzzzt, try again kid.

    • @bullfrogger1208
      @bullfrogger1208 Před 9 měsíci +4

      It wasn't too many years ago that agricultural agreements were done with a simple handshake. Honesty and reputation were everything. Processors need supply, crops can deteriorate, growers need to harvest and work ground and loans need paying off. Many times, there wasn't time to wait for the paper to catch up. Had to be a level of trust. Take advantage and the word traveled fast. You would wake up on an island and not a good one.

    • @kevinmach730
      @kevinmach730 Před 7 měsíci +2

      You're a 100% correct, they don't teach stuff like this in business schools. Quite the opposite, it's all about increasing profits. There is little to no education about what can happen when you take that too far.

    • @vandalsgarage
      @vandalsgarage Před 7 měsíci +2

      This story is completely one sided. Don't believe everything the mainstream news media says. Underwood Farms started jacking up their prices to Huy Fong, then demanded that Huy Fong open their books, so Underwood could gauge how much profit Huy Fong was making vs how much the farm was. This was when the relationship started downhill.

    • @kevinmach730
      @kevinmach730 Před 7 měsíci +2

      @@vandalsgarage It would not surprise me in the least. Seen so many great business relationships go bad where both parties were doing fantastic, but one or both got greedy. How have you come by this information?

  • @nighthiker8872
    @nighthiker8872 Před 8 měsíci +2

    Always good to have a backup plan of action!

  • @steveaustin330
    @steveaustin330 Před 8 měsíci +1

    Local Dollar Store threw out a bunch of Sriracha , it's not expired or damaged, I grabbed it and we're set for a long time.

  • @chinadollfmd
    @chinadollfmd Před 9 měsíci +24

    I just make my own hot sauce now, most people say it is even better when I combine Mango, chilies, garlic, cider vinegar, salt and palm sugar. I blend it and cook it for 30 minutes.

    • @CordeliaWagner
      @CordeliaWagner Před 9 měsíci +1

      The Siracha I can buy in Germany has a weird chemical taste. And ingredients I can't pronounce. Nope.
      Selfmade is so much better!

    • @DatsWhatHeSaid
      @DatsWhatHeSaid Před 9 měsíci

      @@CordeliaWagner Try the "Blackout" variant of Flying Goose sriracha, you can find it online.
      70+% pure chili content, love the stuff.
      Selfmade for sure is better, but you usually run out every so often, and sometimes a little convenience is great 🙃

    • @gnosis7188
      @gnosis7188 Před 9 měsíci

      Thanks for the tip. I'm definitely gonna try this recipe.

    • @Lazerecho
      @Lazerecho Před 9 měsíci

      ​@@CordeliaWagnermeanwhile how many people mispronounce Sriracha and jalapeno?

  • @Coonotafoo
    @Coonotafoo Před 9 měsíci +165

    You know, now that you mentioned it, I have noticed that Huy Fong sriracha sauce has been absent from the grocery store shelves for a little while now. I can easily still find the "knock off" brands, but not the name brand. I don't buy it very often at all and use it sparingly, but I tend to go through a lot of soy sauce and grocery stores have a habit of often lumping "Asian foods" together.

    • @johanponin8680
      @johanponin8680 Před 9 měsíci +6

      same, first time a youtube suggestions clears a real mystery in my daily life

    • @thaipaulnow
      @thaipaulnow Před 9 měsíci +5

      Thai companies are reclaiming the Sriracha names by exporting Huy Fong's knockoff. lol

    • @gm08351
      @gm08351 Před 9 měsíci +1

      story really warms my heart

    • @LordOfSweden
      @LordOfSweden Před 9 měsíci +3

      It also didnt taste the same at all, when they broke the deal with Undderwood.. it didnt taste the same at all

    • @austinburgess8983
      @austinburgess8983 Před 9 měsíci +1

      Anyone try underwoods own siracha?

  • @amiedavis5257
    @amiedavis5257 Před 7 měsíci +3

    Congratulations Huy Fong. You are now the Budweiser of Sriracha. Seriously, I got Sriracha from King Soopers (Kroger) and I think it's Kroger brand and it's just as good. I paid $3 for a 17 oz bottle. I say good on Underwood Ranch. Huy Fong screwed over a farmer and farmers tend to stick together. I hope Underwood outsells Huy Fong.

  • @RefinerSimilitude
    @RefinerSimilitude Před 8 měsíci +16

    I learned of this shortage when I was looking for a bottle last year, and could only find other brands in my local markets that didn’t taste anywhere near the same. I eventually found one when a lady at a local Asian market pretended she didn’t have any and after I looked for several minutes, she relented and let me know that she had one box of them undercover behind the register and said she would sell me one if I didn’t tell anyone she had them. I ran out recently, and was ready to go out and see if she had more. Watching this, at first, I was proud of them for achieving their goal here in America. Then, the way they backstabbed their American business partner reminded me of the way the Chinese ran the company I used to work for when they bought it. Very, very shady which is why I quit. This video makes me want to try harder to find another brand that can copycat the flavor.

  • @NigelDMarvin
    @NigelDMarvin Před 9 měsíci +68

    I hope that Sriracha comes back soon, I love using it in (almost) everything

    • @kuladoma3
      @kuladoma3 Před 9 měsíci +2

      99 ranch has some from Thailand for $4.99 does the trick may not be the brand but its good enough.

    • @ricnyc2759
      @ricnyc2759 Před 9 měsíci +2

      Meanwhile you can just add a log of garlic to a regular hot sauce.

    • @kuladoma3
      @kuladoma3 Před 9 měsíci

      @@ricnyc2759 yep but I am to lazy:)

    • @SchnoogansMcDuff
      @SchnoogansMcDuff Před 9 měsíci

      The Underwood farms version tastes identical btw.

    • @jefftc14
      @jefftc14 Před 8 měsíci

      did you not watch the video??

  • @rob1248996
    @rob1248996 Před 9 měsíci +221

    My friend moved back to Korea and called one day. Korea had no Sriacha and he NEEDED a case of it shipped by air. The freight cost was twice the cost of the sauce. Thank you CNBC for covering this important international crisis.

    • @supac1245
      @supac1245 Před 9 měsíci +4

      What do u mean Korea has no Sriracha? Major grocery chains carry them.

    • @areasevenpro
      @areasevenpro Před 9 měsíci +14

      @@supac1245 What he meant was the Huy Fong Rooster Sauce.

    • @supac1245
      @supac1245 Před 9 měsíci

      @@areasevenpro I know, and I meant the same.

    • @areasevenpro
      @areasevenpro Před 9 měsíci +3

      @@supac1245 And knowing is half the battle.

    • @ShinyStar611
      @ShinyStar611 Před 9 měsíci +14

      @@areasevenpro why did i read that as "half the bottle"

  • @markiangooley
    @markiangooley Před 7 měsíci +1

    Sriracha used to seem too hot to endure. Now it’s apparently too sugary to endure. I haven’t bought any in a decade. It’s so, so sweet!

  • @adventureescape1929
    @adventureescape1929 Před 7 měsíci +1

    This is a good example of greed biting a company in the ass.

  • @maneenikornw8556
    @maneenikornw8556 Před 9 měsíci +8

    Sriracha sauce originated from Thailand. Since it s name after a district in Chonburi province (not far from Pattaya). The real Thailand 's Sriracha sauce is much better than those.

  • @rockymtnrevert
    @rockymtnrevert Před 9 měsíci +49

    I’ve seen this firsthand while shopping over the last year or so; it’s hit or miss if I can find it at ANY of my local grocery stores!!! Now, if I see it stocked, I grab a bottle. We use it daily!

  • @Dirtbiker-guy
    @Dirtbiker-guy Před 7 měsíci +1

    The shortages have inspired me to learn how to make my own mash and turn it into my own sauce that is just as good. Necessity is the mother of invention, corporate wars and stupidity is the end of businesses.

  • @williamcornelison4721
    @williamcornelison4721 Před měsícem

    Funny! The story we heard at grocery stores was the Viet Nam had a bad growing year and that because of Covid there was shipping supplies from overseas. and Sriracha couldn't produce with the shortage of peppers...... That was when I immediately bought all the Huy Fong Sriracha I could find... I still have two bottles (Large) left from the old stock...

  • @aznfriedrice415
    @aznfriedrice415 Před 9 měsíci +66

    You can still get the Thai version of it at your local Chinatown supermarket. The Tiger brand Siracha is similar in taste to Huy Fong's.

    • @JOHNSMITH-if9jr
      @JOHNSMITH-if9jr Před 9 měsíci +4

      not quite the same we have both in our cupboard here in Australia just tested them one is lighter in colour and a little sweeter.( the tiger brand )

    • @lehoang15tuoi
      @lehoang15tuoi Před 9 měsíci +9

      Thai fish source and Thai hot source is crap compared to Vietnamese version. They’re just imitators that surely cost less but no way taste the same

    • @defcon1101
      @defcon1101 Před 9 měsíci +20

      There are a few brands of Thai chilli sauce and tons of fish sauce in Thailand.
      Anyone who said it's crap, had never tasted one.
      Beside Sriracha is the name of Chilli sauce in Thailand produced in the same small provincial name. It's the longest chilli sauce brand in Thailand.

    • @dba8y
      @dba8y Před 9 měsíci +21

      @@lehoang15tuoi Red chili hot sauce from Thailand is not imitator, Sriracha is a Thai name.

    • @annycampbell3070
      @annycampbell3070 Před 9 měsíci

      That's helpful, thank you!

  • @lashlarue7924
    @lashlarue7924 Před 9 měsíci +157

    I tried the Tabasco brand sriracha the other day, which was all they had on the shelf. It was actually pretty good, although the flavor was indeed different than Huy Fong. It tasted like classic Tabasco sauce, which was good, although not quite the same.
    I'm sorry to hear that this "shortage" was entirely man-made, an avoidable problem.

    • @alexjones6190
      @alexjones6190 Před 9 měsíci +4

      I had it too it's got less red jalapenos for sure. Ok in a pinch but wish it was hotter

    • @maximusprimus827
      @maximusprimus827 Před 9 měsíci +2

      Try Texas Pete’s Siracha. It’s the best of the three imo.

    • @larryc1616
      @larryc1616 Před 9 měsíci +8

      It's nasty! Taste nothing like sirancha! Had to pay $10 for the real stuff

    • @lashlarue7924
      @lashlarue7924 Před 9 měsíci +2

      @@maximusprimus827 thanks for the tip, I'll try it.

    • @ReapingTheHarvest
      @ReapingTheHarvest Před 9 měsíci +1

      Just buy ketchup. That's what Sriracha tastes like. Lol

  • @itswhat3v3r
    @itswhat3v3r Před 5 měsíci

    I been noticing this for the whole past year! One of our fav dinners has siracha in it and ive been waiting to hear why its disappeared. My husband has been devastated.

  • @breker19er
    @breker19er Před 9 měsíci

    That was a great post!

  • @bakoguy5330
    @bakoguy5330 Před 9 měsíci +44

    I remember when you could get this with your order of food for 5 bucks. They always had a shitload… it’s the best with any chicken dish! Got to love how far it’s come and being able to be a part of their support

    • @Magnetroman
      @Magnetroman Před 9 měsíci +3

      To make it all even more mysterious: In the Netherlands I didn't observe a shortage at all. It is available here in different brands and at a reasonable price. Several brands use similar bottles that resemble the Huy Fong bottles shown in the video so I suspect they are all just Huy Fong under different names. I have 2 brands in the fridge at home now and I could easily exchange the lids. One of them looking suspiciously like the green lid you will be familiar with. One of the bottles states it was produced in Thailand.
      As far as Sambal Oelek is concerned, I would not be able to trace any of that back to Huy Fong considering it is a kind of traditional product here. Due to historical ties of the Netherlands wth Indonesia going back more than 400 years Asian domestic products have become everyday products here too. Sambal is produced in many variants by small companies and people at home in Indonesia so it is far from a Huy Fong original. In the Netherlands there are several factories producing it.
      Personally I like the taste of sambal bettter. Sriracha is spicier but has little taste beside that whereass sambal gives a bit of a richer broader taste experience.

  • @Tommorow1994
    @Tommorow1994 Před 9 měsíci +51

    I thought I was crazy I knew it tasted different years ago now I know why. The Underwood jalapenos tasted so much better more flavorful unlike the new that tastes so sweet, I used go through a bottle in 2 weeks after they changed supplier its once in every 2 months. I hope because of this situation they go back to Underwood jalapenos. Greed is a disease always ruining something good.

    • @duran9664
      @duran9664 Před 9 měsíci +5

      No real hot sauce in US market 🤏 All r just tons of salt 🧂 & vinegar. 🤢🤢🤮

    • @peanutButterJe11y
      @peanutButterJe11y Před 9 měsíci +3

      Say it isn't so 😢 Just another reason to try Underwood's version, I guess. I've only tried Tabasco's so far, not a fan. Also tried a different version of the chili garlic/sambal olek stuff that was also disappointing. How hard is it to not make hot sauce sweet 🤢

    • @Tabby_Man_3
      @Tabby_Man_3 Před 9 měsíci

      @@duran9664that’s a bold statement. So you’ve had every single hot sauce in the United States of America?

    • @archmad
      @archmad Před 9 měsíci +1

      I cant even buy one

    • @kokomim3652
      @kokomim3652 Před 9 měsíci

      Its not the peppers lol, the peppers are just added for the spice, just cause a company can “recreate” the ingredients does not mean its the same, it all depends on how it was made even the different temperature or how it was stirred can change the flavor.

  • @kosys5338
    @kosys5338 Před 7 měsíci

    I haven't had any problems finding Siracha, just bought a bottle yesterday. They had a lot on the shelf.

  • @JuanHerrero
    @JuanHerrero Před 5 měsíci +7

    At 8:41 you can see Portulaca Oleracea (Purslane), a superfood often regarded as a weed. It is unique in multiple ways, including having the highest Omega-3 content of any plant and having developed a special combination of photosynthesis methods that make it uniquely suited to thrive under drought conditions. Great in salads and stews, where it acts as a natural thickener due to the high mucilage content.

  • @maggiemomo9259
    @maggiemomo9259 Před 9 měsíci +29

    I can see a 2nd generation with a freshly minted MBA taking over the Huy Fong biz, and tried something new to squeeze out the farmer.

    • @marzsit9833
      @marzsit9833 Před 9 měsíci +2

      agreed, a rookie mba is a guaranteed way to screw up any established business.

    • @AlanNguyenMD
      @AlanNguyenMD Před 9 měsíci

      with that kind of stupidity and money they would have hire a lawyer instead.

  • @FedorMachida
    @FedorMachida Před 9 měsíci +8

    Makes sense. I have been wondering why I don't see the OG Rooster, Sriracha bottles on the grocery store shelves anymore. There are 2-3 other brands now. Thanks for the vid.

  • @colbicolbiWTF
    @colbicolbiWTF Před 9 měsíci +20

    i grew up with a family who is connected to this company, so we never saw a shortage, kinda sad to see people reselling it for insane prices when our store and restaurant saw zero difference

  • @expert244
    @expert244 Před 4 měsíci +1

    Had no idea. No more Huy Fong products for me. Sad.

  • @lil----lil
    @lil----lil Před 9 měsíci +25

    This is just crazy. Both were/are doing GREAT, both are millionaires. The perfect relationship and basically the perfect business (regular consumption) , good for you and good for me and good for the community. But NO ~

    • @hufficag
      @hufficag Před 9 měsíci +2

      People love change. They can't live without messing up a good thing.

    • @peanutButterJe11y
      @peanutButterJe11y Před 9 měsíci +4

      And now none of us have good sriracha 🥲 Literally everyone lost

    • @GaryARahn
      @GaryARahn Před 9 měsíci +7

      Kids with lawyers got involved

    • @SV-kr9fu
      @SV-kr9fu Před 9 měsíci +1

      It seems that the directions of Huy Fong's business practices have changed, since David Tran's kids took over the operations.

  • @johnlesica4657
    @johnlesica4657 Před 9 měsíci +174

    I used to buy this brand back in the 90's before it became mainstream. This was my go to hot sauce I used to put on anything that needed a kick of heat (pizza, chili, sandwiches etc.). Their best sauce though, is not the Sriracha which they showed mostly throughout the video. Their best sauce was the "Chili Garlic Sauce". It didn't come in a squeeze bottle, but in a plastic jar. It had the consistency of a thick, chunky, paste. In this sauce they kept the seeds in, which made it hotter. Plus they did not use sugar to make it, like they did with the Sriracha. It had a hot, garlic, vinegary, pepper, flavor which appealed to me more. Their second best sauce was their "Sambal Oelek" which was basically the same as the Chili Garlic Sauce but without the garlic. The Sriracha is ok, but I don't care much for its sweet flavor.

    • @etmccaus
      @etmccaus Před 9 měsíci +25

      Chili Garlic is the best, and I'm sadder about its shortage than I am over Sriracha.

    • @DxnnyLy
      @DxnnyLy Před 9 měsíci +2

      Wait, I do see it in the video though xD

    • @blipco5
      @blipco5 Před 9 měsíci

      John Lesica- Have you tried the Underwood Farms version of sriracha?

    • @KiTheMC
      @KiTheMC Před 9 měsíci +1

      I agree, but I prefer the regular chili paste. I would always eat that stuff with rice. Although the safety seal is very wonky and sometimes the particles of the glue or metal get into the paste when you first open it.

    • @moesiatestecles1975
      @moesiatestecles1975 Před 9 měsíci

      @@Isabella-tf1qc It's *that* good!?

  • @hh0686
    @hh0686 Před 8 měsíci +1

    If you cannot manufacture the sriracha hot sauce in California, move the production to India or Mexico.

  • @TheLastLineLive
    @TheLastLineLive Před 9 měsíci +80

    This is a crisis for me personally cuz I love sriracha and Huy Fong is the best one. 😢

    • @hufficag
      @hufficag Před 9 měsíci +9

      Have you noticed a change in taste since they switched to other suppliers? People in comments saying the peppers tasted better before

    • @carlthor91
      @carlthor91 Před 9 měsíci +9

      Nope, I'm switching to Underwood Farms Sriracha. Just on principal.

    • @TheLastLineLive
      @TheLastLineLive Před 9 měsíci

      @@hufficag I dunno, the very first time I ever had Sriracha was in 2017 at a local Thai restaurant, which is around the time their deal with that supplier soured, so I can’t attest to that

    • @ManabiLT
      @ManabiLT Před 9 měsíci +3

      @@hufficag I noticed it could taste slightly different from bottle to bottle even back when they were still sourcing from Underwood farms. Any taste variations would be hard to discern due to that normal variability.

    • @___beyondhorizon4664
      @___beyondhorizon4664 Před 9 měsíci

      Try Mexico LINDO habanero sauce, only need a few drops in a small bottle, just perfect for me.

  • @WhiteHouse1037
    @WhiteHouse1037 Před 9 měsíci +4

    Go to an Asian , Indian Market or Grocery store. They have tons of it. Your shopping should include these vendors for two reasons. Different items and variety. Plus you keep them in business. It is so much fun to look at the myriad of products and unique items. If you are adventurous, curious or just wanting the basic staples. You will be rewarded. I also find that the staff are more than willing to help and guide you or answer questions. They are also focused on their store and want you to come back or tell your friends. I have done this around Pittsburgh for over 30 years. Big stores are great, but the specialty stores are the key to authentic epicurean delights, flavors and recipes for the home cook.

    • @ironhell813
      @ironhell813 Před 5 měsíci +1

      Exactly what I found out when I heard there was a shortage, no there isn’t, there’s only a shortage of American produced sriracha. Funny how the American public can trust any sriracha maker when huy fong were in Thailand but now they’re in the USA they won’t trust any other producers, hippocritical. Anyways, iam very happy with my Thailand copycat sriracha thank you.

    • @CRneu
      @CRneu Před 4 měsíci

      even my local kroger has 3-5 brands of sriracha at any given time and the brands occasionally change. My local korean market has 5 different ones. Whole foods has a few different kinds. My local niche high end grocer has yet another few brands. There's no shortage except for one brand. On top of all that, once you try a few different brands of sriracha you realize that Huy Fong isn't even in the top 3 or 4 srirachas. Also, even between brands some batches have different flavors.

  • @drxym
    @drxym Před 4 měsíci

    Don't know about sriracha but it is breathtakingly easy to get sriracha in Ireland. Step 1) Go in a relatively big supermarket. Step 2) Buy sriracha. Not that I'd want to but it's right there. Occasionally even stores like Lidl and Aldi have it on sale.

  • @stevesilverman3505
    @stevesilverman3505 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Other brands such as Tabasco have filled in Huy Fong's gap.

  • @FrozenRoti
    @FrozenRoti Před 9 měsíci +16

    So Underwood just agreed to clear out their other crops in favour of peppers without a watertight contract? If the contract was solid then Huy Fong just ignored it and proceeded to diversify their supply chain? Something doesn’t add up here. The story makes it seem like amateur mistakes for two large corporates but I’m sure there’s more to it.

    • @totesmcgoatz3365
      @totesmcgoatz3365 Před 9 měsíci +3

      Not every business operates the same way. I’ve seen multi million dollar deals close on hand shakes. Typically lawyers don’t like it and this is exactly why lol

    • @gadgetlover9763
      @gadgetlover9763 Před 9 měsíci +2

      @@karlwithak. You must work for Huy Fong lol. This video was eye opening in the dirty tactics of Huy Fong. They lost $23 million court case, and lost the appeal too.

    • @wrxwrx
      @wrxwrx Před 8 měsíci +3

      How the hell was the contract not airtight let alone watertight when they won 27M in court and won in appeals?

  • @blazinpyromaniac
    @blazinpyromaniac Před 9 měsíci +9

    I can't find them anywhere this last year or longer. I have to get alternative brands which are not as good. But I'm glad I finally got an answer. I thought I was going crazy to why it's no longer around.

  • @brandon9715
    @brandon9715 Před 4 měsíci

    Huy Fong is back! Just got two bottles from WalMart today!

  • @ImaWanderer-ce2zs
    @ImaWanderer-ce2zs Před 2 měsíci

    Just got this back regularly in my local chain grocery store. I was making do with the alternatives from Tabasco & Sky Valley/Lite House , which aren't too bad. There is certainly nothing like the original Sriracha though. Hadn't had it for over a year. Forgot how dang good Huy Fong Sriracha SMELLS and tastes. Peeps saying it's not the same anymore, still seems just as good to me. Glad to have it back, so far. Seen it back here and there and it would be gone in one day. So far, it's been stocked at my store for like the past month. Still not back at Walmart though....

    • @GoatKu615
      @GoatKu615 Před 2 měsíci

      Would u buy one from online if they had a bottle

  • @markslupe7197
    @markslupe7197 Před 9 měsíci +129

    Interesting story. I live in Thailand and use the chili and garlic sauce invented in the Thai city that gave the sauce it's name, Sriracha. It has a different flavor profile because it uses hotter Thai chilis and more garlic. I wonder if Huy Fong didn't try to copyright the name because it was already being used in another country for decades. Both sauce varieties are great and each fills it's own niche.

    • @user-tb6uj9hz6k
      @user-tb6uj9hz6k Před 9 měsíci +33

      Sriracha is a distric in Thailand.
      Sriracha sauce have been in Thailand more than 60 years.

    • @bsenka
      @bsenka Před 9 měsíci +14

      I have noticed that the imported Thai Sriracha tastes much better. Confusingly, it's usually cheaper too.

    • @markslupe7197
      @markslupe7197 Před 9 měsíci +7

      @@bsenka Compared to the US, it's incredibly cheap here as well as the other sauces used in cooking. None of the "Thai Kitchen" brand fish sauce and curry pastes. We now buy curry paste at the village store where it's freshly made.

    • @rockhard9369
      @rockhard9369 Před 9 měsíci +7

      Maybe he got it from Thailand, he was a refugee, maybe he was refugee in Thailand and got the idea. Many Vietnamese refugee in Thailand after Vietnam war. Sriracha is Thailand name.

    • @ruthtran9494
      @ruthtran9494 Před 9 měsíci +15

      David Tran said he was making Vietnamese chilli sauce..not the Thai version. He put the name on the bottle Tuong ot Sriracha (Tuong ot is Vnese word for chilli sauce).. along with English word "chilli sauce" and the Chinese word for it (just like many products in Asian grocery store). Becoz at that time he wanted to sell to Asian people but no one knows what Tuong ot is (and dificult to pronounce as well) so he used the word Sriracha becoz ppl already know what that is.
      Heres an account of him talking about it.
      m.czcams.com/video/AWRZPLe0cUc/video.html

  • @BigMikeECV
    @BigMikeECV Před 9 měsíci +128

    Wow! I've had Huy Fong Sambal Oelek chili paste on my shopping list since the beginning of the year, but my local grocer has had only an empty spot on the shelf for it. I find that unusual because if they don't restock the stuff, they would put a different product in its place. This suggests that they may occasionally receive stock of the product, but then a local buyer such as a restaurant buys it all.

    • @guygalt1102
      @guygalt1102 Před 9 měsíci +4

      It's pronounced Sambal "oo-lek" like the Dutch word "ulek" for mortar and is, in my humble opinion, the very best chili sauce in the world. It is the only one that has no garlic and almost no salt. Just pure delicious chili pepper purée.
      edit: This wasn't really a direct reply to you, Big Mike, but I hit the wrong reply button. I guess we're both Sambal Oelek lovers, though. Let me know if you find another no garlic no salt chili paste! Cheers!

    • @ashashraa6579
      @ashashraa6579 Před 9 měsíci +8

      @@guygalt1102 Sambal oelek is from Indonesia. It has nothing to do with Dutch whatsoever.

    • @zunriya
      @zunriya Před 9 měsíci +2

      Dutch steal sambal olek from indo bruh

    • @kippywylie
      @kippywylie Před 9 měsíci +3

      ​@@guygalt1102I've been with Sambal Oelek cooking since my first day in a Thai cooking class in 1992 and the Sriracha garlic tainted sauce has never once entered our kitchen. On rare occasions I'll try a few drops at a restaurant and just do not like it. In 2023 all the store shelves are empty and when I ask the manager I'm told it's never coming back. Worse yet is when you search these stores EVERY sauce includes garlic. Darn

    • @dabhand6796
      @dabhand6796 Před 9 měsíci +5

      ​@@ashashraa6579
      'It has nothing to do with Dutch whatsoever'? Maybe you should read up on the recent history of Indonesia and its colonial connection with the Dutch........

  • @htvlogs80
    @htvlogs80 Před 7 měsíci

    It’s back in stock, got a couple bottles of the original Huy Fong at my local Asian market.

  • @HittokiriBattousai17
    @HittokiriBattousai17 Před 4 měsíci

    Everybody was making a fuss about this sauce so I tried it! I can't say I liked it but I can see why everybody got hooked on. It's a shame they can't keep up with production.

  • @Constantino619
    @Constantino619 Před 9 měsíci +16

    Recently most San Diego stores were stocked up. Some had a 2 limit and surprisingly no price gouging either

    • @kenjiii_
      @kenjiii_ Před 9 měsíci

      What stores in San Diego?

    • @The_Ballo
      @The_Ballo Před 9 měsíci

      No such thing as gouging

    • @namastan5580
      @namastan5580 Před 9 měsíci

      Yeah I can't find it in SD

  • @lirpa5
    @lirpa5 Před 9 měsíci +56

    Ive tried other competitors and its just not the same. I hope Huy Fong gets their act together. I cant live without their Sriracha.

    • @Bluespicygreen
      @Bluespicygreen Před 9 měsíci

      Me too, they need to quit their bull and get me the sauce!

    • @lozoft9
      @lozoft9 Před 9 měsíci +9

      @@jshowao-rw1dh I've tried Underwood's sriracha, it's more vinegary than Huy Fong's and lacks the smokiness and bright red color b/c they aren't as strict about using only overripe red jalapeños. To each his own, but Huy Fong got the formula and quality right. It's hard to replicate b/c it's hard to grow and harvest jalapeños with a uniform amount of ripeness, and you have to be able to use ripe peppers as soon as they're harvested, so distance and time between supplier and manufacturer matter.

    • @AlanNguyenMD
      @AlanNguyenMD Před 9 měsíci

      they can easily buy other jalapeno sauce from other farms but they didn't. Its their commitment to the quality.

    • @majorlazor5058
      @majorlazor5058 Před 9 měsíci

      God forbid a company tries to expand their business.
      What kind of mafia mentality is it they have to purchase peppers from one guy?

  • @AlanTheBeast100
    @AlanTheBeast100 Před 8 měsíci

    My SO buys the peppers. 4 - 6 days later: Sriracha
    1 pound red jalapeno peppers, stems cut off (wear latex gloves - do not touch mouth, nose, eyes...)
    ½ pound red serrano peppers, stems cut off (or ½ pound more jalapeno)
    ⅓ cup water
    4 cloves garlic, peeled
    3 tablespoons light brown sugar
    1 tablespoon kosher salt
    Blend smooth. Put in a container and cover (cling wrap tight). Store in cool/dark place to ferment. Each day, scrape inside of the jar and stir well. (It ferments). When bubby (3 - 5 days).
    Add ½ cup distilled white vinegar. Stops the fermentation.
    Blend smooth.
    Strain.
    Heat to boiling and stir. Make sure the fan is on!
    10 minutes or so until as thick as you need.
    Jar.
    Refrigerate.

  • @waylingtons
    @waylingtons Před 4 měsíci

    Huy Fong was also banned in Europe because it was found to contain numerous additives that were banned. I miss that stuff. We have alternatives but none of them are the same as the original.

  • @sy253sea
    @sy253sea Před 9 měsíci +26

    Huy Fong is the stable for sriracha sauce. It’s not the same with other competitors sriracha. They can replicate all they want but it’s not the same spices. Huy Fong is the stable, like what Heinz is to ketchup. There is no comparison

    • @sor3999
      @sor3999 Před 9 měsíci +1

      Huy Fong Sriracha isn't even the same Huy Fong Sriracha anymore. Sourcing different peppers neutered the sauce.

    • @DatsWhatHeSaid
      @DatsWhatHeSaid Před 9 měsíci +5

      Flying Goose brand is where it's at, imho.
      Their "Blackout" sriracha is insanely yummy and spicy.

    • @sy253sea
      @sy253sea Před 9 měsíci

      Thanks for recommendations. I’ll definitely try it

    • @brianrounding4258
      @brianrounding4258 Před 9 měsíci +1

      Stable?.. WTF.. You mean Staple?

    • @sy253sea
      @sy253sea Před 9 měsíci

      autocorrect. I meant to say staple, Iykyk.

  • @arleneallen8809
    @arleneallen8809 Před 9 měsíci +9

    I've tried multiple replacements, but none of them are even close. No A-B taste testing required. Maybe the Underwood version does the trick. A good laboratory could reverse engineer the HF formula, but apparently most of the brand X versions out there didn't even try. At this point, getting used to doing without.

  • @Da-Worm
    @Da-Worm Před 8 měsíci +1

    Bummer that this end up like this. But no other Sriracha tastes like the original Sriracha 😢

  • @amy3458
    @amy3458 Před 8 měsíci

    I will NEVER purchase ANYTHING from Huy Fong ever again. NEVER. As a farmer myself, i’m done with them.

  • @GodLovesComics
    @GodLovesComics Před 9 měsíci +5

    They announced there would be a shortage during the pandemic and indeed there was consistently an empty space on shelves. Then as soon as it appeared again people would buy it all up. Now once again that shelf space is barren. I will say though, that while I love Huy Fong as much as anyone else, there are other sriracha sauces out there that are just as good and for the truly industrious you can even make your own, so it's not a huge deal. I can get by until Huy Fong returns.

  • @liquidrival
    @liquidrival Před 9 měsíci +9

    What I heard was that the farm was jealous of how much money they were making, and the farm itself decided to create their own hot sauce.

    • @jin8339
      @jin8339 Před 9 měsíci +2

      I totally agree with you . They farmers wanted more money .

    • @Lacerated1DJ3
      @Lacerated1DJ3 Před 9 měsíci

      so the farm refused to honor its agreement with Huy Fong and won the lawsuit because it wanted in the long run to have to invest in production of its own sauces, is what you are implying? I do not believe that is why he won the lawsuit. The Video makes it clear how it ended up at the point of making its own in the end, not starting out as a competitor at all. smh

    • @Lacerated1DJ3
      @Lacerated1DJ3 Před 9 měsíci

      yes, everyone wants more money, but I believe the farm did not intend to make its own sauce until the end after they got cheated buy Fong@@jin8339

    • @coldblue9mm
      @coldblue9mm Před 8 měsíci +2

      How in the hell did you come up with that fairy tale? Huy Fong stiffed the grower and the grower was left with tons of peppers. Underwood Farms won the lawsuit AND the appeal. The only thing Huy Fong got was the $1.5 Mill overcharge. The bulk of the award went to Underwood Farms.

  • @nastynotch8314
    @nastynotch8314 Před 5 měsíci

    Damn I remember this. The town in California complained about the smell, and they shut it down. But we was like hell naw.

  • @kenzolr9373
    @kenzolr9373 Před 8 měsíci

    Glad I still got a case left, will be enjoying them until they hopefully are back in operation again.

  • @bigj324
    @bigj324 Před 9 měsíci +20

    I think both side ended up losing. If they had maintained good business relationship, both could have made a lot more money. Underwood may have won the legal battle, but he would have been more profitable for years as sole supplier for Huy Fong. All this over $1 million.

    • @AlanNguyenMD
      @AlanNguyenMD Před 9 měsíci +5

      huy fong wanted Underwood to ran out of business after not buying the promised jalapeno crops in 2017. But they are too stupid to think they can get away with signed contracts. Very ameteurish and arrogant of the founders' kids to make this move. In the end underwood still thrives and becomes their biggest rival.

    • @AlanNguyenMD
      @AlanNguyenMD Před 9 měsíci

      czcams.com/video/AWRZPLe0cUc/video.html so I believe in Mr. Tran- founder of the Sriracha- hes an old man who doesn't care about money so it was Underwood that kept raising prices to make more money out of pure greed. So my guess is Underwood announces huge Chili price hikes close to the harvest season, then Sriracha had to go find another sources to keep the price low enough. But they had to agree with the Underwood's deal as a backup plan. After they found another sources that can satisfy their production quota in 2017, Sriracha then backed off of the deal as a revenge for Underwood nonsense price hike after 30 years. However Underwood sued Sriracha and won. It was Underwood's greed and the amateur handling of the contract as a cause for Sriracha paid a huge settlements to Underwood.

    • @bobbygetsbanned6049
      @bobbygetsbanned6049 Před 9 měsíci +1

      Yup, win win, unfortunately Huy Fong forgot both parties could win.

    • @bobbygetsbanned6049
      @bobbygetsbanned6049 Před 9 měsíci +2

      @@AlanNguyenMD With the UCC the contracts don't even need to be signed. The fact they had a long history of working together alone basically ensured Huy Fong would lose. The UCC makes damn near every business relationship a contract, especially when you have worked together for years there's an expectation that will continue. Huy Fong's kids must have skipped their business law classes to think they could get out of this.

    • @yankeesforlife24
      @yankeesforlife24 Před 9 měsíci +2

      Seems like it wasn’t 1 mil it was 22.5 mil

  • @alex0589
    @alex0589 Před 9 měsíci +9

    "We have supply chain issues"
    The actual Issue: "We're suing our supply chain"

  • @MarkLada
    @MarkLada Před 8 měsíci +1

    There's no weather problem causing a pepper shortage.. There's a pay problem causing a grower shortage.. That's what happens when you don't pay people what they are worth.. They find someone else to do business with..

  • @Frohds14
    @Frohds14 Před 8 měsíci

    Bought 450mll Flying Goose Sriracha today in a German supermarket: 4,27€ inkl. VAT
    There are several other brands. My favourite is a Dutch/Indonesian brand from a Deli: 500ml 7€.

  • @viccasaur
    @viccasaur Před 9 měsíci +4

    My husband uses this sauce in almost everything, he was going through a mental breakdown when he couldn’t find it in stores lol.

    • @mail4tung
      @mail4tung Před 9 měsíci +2

      LOL...really

    • @stevengagnon4777
      @stevengagnon4777 Před 8 měsíci

      Yeah I understand it was what I always kept around...that garlic chili. It's hard to believe that they screwed their supplier as they could have raised their price a bit...they really had a brand loyalty for a good reason. It really did have a one of a kind taste.

  • @LofiIdol
    @LofiIdol Před 9 měsíci +54

    Siracha Sauce actually born in Thailand known as ศรีราชาพาณิชย์ or "Sriraja Panich" (Si Racha district of Chonburi in Thailand) but it was duplicated by Vietnam capitalist . the funniest is they use very familiar word into their label and distribute back to Thailand with more double price to origin. Unfortunately to the origin as they didn't patent before !

    • @miralan2215
      @miralan2215 Před 9 měsíci +8

      Shark Brand Sriracha Chili Sauce is Thai version. If you haven't tried it. It is so good!

    • @andronac62
      @andronac62 Před 9 měsíci +1

      Anyway they are all Chinese marchants, one created it in Thailand and the other one brought it to the U.S. from Vietnam...

    • @SV-kr9fu
      @SV-kr9fu Před 9 měsíci +7

      And quite a few of the idiotic Thais (like my cousins) like the Huy Fong version more than the Sriraja Panich only because it comes from the U.S.
      Many Thais still worship the "Made in U.S.A." label, just like the way Carabao sang about it back in the '80's.

    • @echung168
      @echung168 Před 9 měsíci

      @@SV-kr9fu That's a very Asian immigrant mentality to hold the "Made in USA" label in higher regards

    • @SV-kr9fu
      @SV-kr9fu Před 9 měsíci +2

      @@echung168 : Not just Asian immigrants; it is the mentality of most of the Asians that are still living in those Asian countries as well.

  • @45876
    @45876 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Here's what this video did not disclose about the lawsuit from Irwindale. The people that complained about the factory turned out to be relatives/friends of city council members of Irwindale. The reason these nice folks filed the lawsuit was due to Huy Fong paying off the money it borrowed from the city earlier than expected and the city was no longer getting the nice interest payments. I don't believe the lawsuit was dropped and I believe the judge ruled in favor of the city and Huy Fong had to pay a fine. A couple of years later, Huy Fong got sued again by the city of Irwindale. The reason? Irwindale was no longer getting donations from the Huy Fong. The owner of the company went on local television expressing his displeasure and mentioned that he escaped from the communist regime in Vietnam and is now facing the same problem here in the United States. IIRC, the company's legal battle with the supplier was the reason the shortage began years ago. I can't recall the real reason for the lawsuit but I wouldn't trust what this video tells you.

    • @dra6o0n
      @dra6o0n Před 7 měsíci

      There's corruption everywhere, but if you know certain details, like how CCP members and their family likely have dual-citizenship and also spread far and wide across the world, then it's viable that this is a possible way to cause a distraction and diversion in America as it will hurt the Asian diversity with their food culture.
      A lot of issues and controversies happening throughout the last 10 years, all spiraled out within the country in a way to weaken or cause distrust and divide the communities. A lack of supply shouldn't cause a big issue, it's when actions of politicians do certain things, or pulls some strings to make it look like that, will create these sort of events that will snowball into a bigger issue until people forget how it originated.
      It's called instigation, then you make people hate one another, and let the grudge and blood feud pass through a few years until people are so blind they can't remember why it started.

    • @Betty599
      @Betty599 Před 3 měsíci

      I agreed with you on this video. I saw the interview few years ago with the founder of Sriracha. Uneducated immigrant from Vietnam. Started a successful Sriracha chili business. Unaware he should have register his trademark, recipes, patent etc. Plus does not know business law, court system work. The farmer realizes trademark was not register/patent etc. The farmer decided to make his own Sriracha and cash in the Sriracha business and that is how the war of lawsuit got started. In the mean time other companies started using the word Sriracha and making their own chili sauce under Sriracha name.

  • @aznsensation44
    @aznsensation44 Před 4 měsíci

    That's interesting, I have a jar of Huy Fong Sambal Oelek right now in my cupboard, picked it up here at a TNT's which is a chinese supermarket up here in Canada, doesn't seem to be much issues finding these up here

  • @azndragon75
    @azndragon75 Před 9 měsíci +10

    When the supply returns to the market, people start to develop new tastes with other hot sauce brands like Flying Duck Sriracha from Thailand and Tobasco Sriracha.

    • @stevealkire7626
      @stevealkire7626 Před 9 měsíci +2

      *The Kroger brand that is made in Vietnam is the cheapest and pretty good.*

    • @LCCreole
      @LCCreole Před 9 měsíci

      I like the Ox brand and Texas Pete, although not the best, I like it .

    • @stevealkire7626
      @stevealkire7626 Před 9 měsíci +2

      ​@@LCCreole *Yes, I tried Ox and Sky Valley (from Litehouse) if memory serves the Ox was good but a bit on the salty side which a little sugar would probably bring close to Huy Fong's. I also tried Sriraja Panich from Thailand which is easily available in the US. The best flavor and price combo imo is the Kroger version sold at their many brands of markets for around $3. Huy Fong made a bad move cutting ties with their main pepper supplier and driving customers to other brands.*

    • @AndyTN64
      @AndyTN64 Před 9 měsíci

      We like flying Duck brand, chilies not to spicy and tast better.

  • @angelh1743
    @angelh1743 Před 9 měsíci +18

    Huy Fong Foods got greedy. That's why they're suffering. And Underwood Ranch is thriving with their own brand of Sriracha. Never screw over your supplier of key ingredients.
    Personally I've never used Sriracha and have no interest to. I'm sure it's a great product if it's being talked about in major news outlets.

    • @doujinflip
      @doujinflip Před 9 měsíci +4

      Or it needs the mass media boost. Huy Fong sauces were sold purely by word of mouth, only becoming newsworthy during the 2013 factory odor incident and this legal clash with Underwood.

    • @jackli6592
      @jackli6592 Před 9 měsíci +3

      i dont think you understand whos been greedy here. the BUYER cant never be greedy, only the Seller do. in this relation whos the seller?

    • @sor3999
      @sor3999 Před 9 měsíci

      @@jackli6592 When the buyer of peppers is selling sauce they absolutely can be greedy. Increasing margins is fueled by greed.

  • @Garth2011
    @Garth2011 Před 8 měsíci

    In that final statement about "mitigating technology" makes no sense when the grower here in CA had said he had no problems growing the peppers for the past 23 years.

  • @SkolVikings22
    @SkolVikings22 Před 8 měsíci +1

    Wait, so Underwood Farms used to grow jalapenos for Siracha chili sauce, but then created their own siracha but import the jalapenos from Mexico? That makes no sense.

  • @blaiseandthebambina
    @blaiseandthebambina Před 9 měsíci +3

    I recently worked for a company that turned Sriracha into powder form. I have 4 gallons of their liquid and 10lbs of the powder we made. The powder is phenomenal to cook with!

  • @blipco5
    @blipco5 Před 9 měsíci +11

    The Huy Fong sriracha is not just about heat, it has a wonderful flavor as well. Has anybody tried the Underwood Farms sauce?

    • @andrewbartel9259
      @andrewbartel9259 Před 9 měsíci +2

      I just ordered a two pack, I'll let you know

    • @InvntdXNEWROMAN
      @InvntdXNEWROMAN Před 8 měsíci

      ​@@andrewbartel9259how was it?

    • @andrewbartel9259
      @andrewbartel9259 Před 8 měsíci

      It sucks, quite a bit sweeter and way less depth of chili flavor and the bottle is really annoying to use. Total waste of money.@@InvntdXNEWROMAN

  • @moshy9717
    @moshy9717 Před 4 měsíci

    Siracha is still in the store here. And has always been in stock everywhere. No shortages

  • @hailervin
    @hailervin Před 4 měsíci

    I wonder if it would be possible for them to source those same peppers in alabama. Alabama has tons of rainfall and all it would take is one incredibly ambitious farmer.

  • @peanutButterJe11y
    @peanutButterJe11y Před 9 měsíci +65

    It's too bad Huy Fong played themselves like that, but I'll have to check out Underwood's version. I really haven't found a replacement that I like. Also miss the chili garlic and sambal olek sauces, guess this means I need to find replacements for those too. I miss having a mild hot sauce to use on everything.

    • @christianb4797
      @christianb4797 Před 9 měsíci +11

      Underwood's version is pretty good. I've tried multiple sriracha sauces and have not liked most of them. Underwood's has been my favorite so far. The only downside is that it's a bit pricey.

    • @peanutButterJe11y
      @peanutButterJe11y Před 9 měsíci +1

      @@christianb4797 Good looking out, thanks! I might give the Trader Joe's version a shot too based on the comments.

    • @xmistaxcashxcoll
      @xmistaxcashxcoll Před 9 měsíci

      ​@@christianb4797Sriracha only 👎

    • @christianb4797
      @christianb4797 Před 9 měsíci +1

      @xmistaxcashxcoll don't get me wrong, I like huy fong's sriracha, but I cannot find it anywhere.

    • @___beyondhorizon4664
      @___beyondhorizon4664 Před 9 měsíci

      Many other hot sauces in Chinese supermarket. Thai or schezhuen are most spicy 🔥. I now only buy Mexico LINDO habanero sauce for a few drops,it's spicy 🔥