Dive Brief:
- Perhaps no other ingredient brand has attracted the devotion among foodies that Sriracha has. The Vietnamese-style hot sauce is beloved by bloggers, celebrated by chefs, is the subject of an upcoming documentary film and images of its bottle appear on hipsters' t-shirts and techies' cellphone covers.
- Sriracha's growth is particularly interesting given that the company does virtually no advertising and that its CEO avoids the press. But the taste of the stuff is so wonderful that the voices of fans have propelled Sriracha to $60 million in sales, placement in New York's famous Momofuku Noodle Bar restaurant and the title of "Ingredient of the Year" in Bon Appetit magazine.
- David Tran, owner of Huy Fong Foods, maker of Sriracha, regularly turns away big-pocketed investors who want to take over the company, complaining that they "are never interested in the product, only in the profits."
Dive Insight:
We love Sriracha as much as the next food-obsessed guy. And we really loved Quartz' article about David Tran and the hot sauce he sells. We have one of those little rooster bottles right next to the stove. And right next to that are a few bottles of Vietnamese-style fish sauces. Sooner or later one of those brands will develop a Sriracha-like cult following too. Trust us on this. The only thing better than Vietnamese pho with Sriracha is sauteed greens with fish sauce.