UK | The Sriracha, a mild chilli sauce, has not only become a dinnertime favourite but also helped introduce younger diners to hot sauces in general.
In the last year, Tesco has seen demand for hot sauces suddenly soar by nearly 20 percent, with an extra 2.5 million bottles sold in the last 12 months alone.
Sriracha, a savoury dipping sauce with sweet undertones made from deep-fermented chilli peppers, distilled vinegar, pickled garlic, sugar, and salt, has been instrumental in helping drive that growth.
At Tesco, demand for Sriracha has increased by nearly 65 percent in the last year, making it one of the most popular hot sauce styles.
Experts say the UK’s passion for the sauce has come from the growing appetite for Far Eastern cuisine, including ramen and pho soup, stir fries, and rice dishes.
Tesco condiments buying manager Annika Johnston said that sriracha has been a real game-changer in introducing more people to hot sauces than ever before.
“Mainstream sales started to take off in the UK about three years ago, and in the last year we have seen demand grow spectacularly. And it’s had a real knock-on effect on the entire hot sauce industry, something we call ‘The Sriracha Effect’, with shoppers now curious to try other hot sauces,” said Johnston.
“Hot sauces are now as much a part of our mealtimes as ketchup, mustard, brown sauce and mayo. Where once a bottle of any of those traditional condiments would suffice to liven up our food, now more of us are spicing meals up with hot chilli sauces.”
She added that just 20 years ago, customers would probably have found Tabasco and one or two Caribbean hot sauces in mainstream supermarkets. However, palates have changed over the last 40 years as the UK has become accustomed to the vast and varied international cuisine now available.
“Curry and Chinese cuisine have been part of our culinary culture for over 60 years, and in the last 20 years, Thai and Mexican food have also become popular. It seems our taste buds get more acclimatised with every passing decade to the ever hotter food that becomes part of our national cuisine.”
One of the UK’s fastest-growing condiment brands is Dr Will’s, which started eight years ago and has recently added a Sriracha Mayo alternative to its long-standing regular Sriracha Hot Sauce.
The company focused on natural ingredients in its sauces, using dates and red peppers to add sweetness instead of refined sugar and reducing salt content.
“Hot sauce is the fastest growing subcategory in the UK condiment market and within hot sauce, the fastest growing flavour style is Sriracha,” said Dr Will’s co-founder, Liam White.
“Hot sauce is like the craft beer of condiments; people want variety, different chillies, different heat levels, different flavour profiles. It’s common for a single shopper to have three or more variants in their fridge."
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