The Spicy Condiment of Vietnamese Heritage

   The iconic Rooster's color belies its contents---red hot!

What foodie hasn’t heard of Sriracha (see ROTCH ah)?  Not only does this condiment appear on nearly every tabletop of most Asian restaurants in the USA, but it has also worked its way into main-stream culinary America.  There are now Sriracha-flavored potato chips, both Sriracha mayonnaise and mustard, as well as Sriracha jerkey and Sriracha popcorn.   Almost unbelievably, there is now even Sriracha lip balm for sale.  How many knew the Sriracha empire was started by a Vietnamese immigrant?

In the late 1970’s a former major in Vietnam’s southern Army immigrated to the Los Angeles area of California.   He was disappointed to not find the traditional hot sauce he had so loved in his native country.   On a shoestring budget he decided to make his own.  In a broken-down Chevy van he began peddling his concoction to the large community of Vietnamese via their local markets and restaurants.  The rest is history.

His family-run business, Hay Fong Foods, now employs over 200 people and has sales in excess of $60 million.  Named after the boat on which he escaped from Vietnam nearly 35 years ago, Hay Fong’s Sriracha was named at Bon Appetit’s “food of the year” in 2010.   The company has never advertised.  But, the company also never trademarked the name Sriracha and that has proved quite problematic.  While Hay Fong’s iconic packaging is easily recognized for its clear plastic bottle showing its bright red contents along with rooster logo and bright green squeeze-bottle top, it has come under fire from competitors.  It seems everyone is now making Sriracha and knock-offs fill supermarket shelves.

I just returned a few weeks ago from Vietnam with a Wine-Knows group.  There were no bottles of Hay Fong Food’s Sriracha on the tables, however, most restaurants had a similarly colored bottle of equally high-octane sauce tableside.  As I sampled each,  I couldn’t help but think of the perseverance and drive of the USA’s creator of Sriracha----a tribute to the hard-working people of his beautiful homeland.

Santa (Fe) Chiles

By Greg Ciurczak (Guest Blogger & Wine-Knows client) 

“Will that be green or red, sir?” I overheard the waitress ask the gentleman sitting at the table next to me.  “Hmmmm, I can’t decide,” he said.  “Okay, let’s make it Christmas,” he replied.   Christmas?  I thought to myself.  It was September in Santa Fe, so what was with the reference to the holiday? 

I scoured the menu and it was peppered with numerous meal selections offering green and red chiles but I did not see any reference to “Christmas.”  I ordered the Flat Chicken Enchiladas…a kind of local lasagna made with corn tortillas.  The waitress arrived, I gave her my order and on cue I received the same inquiry the gentlemen sitting next to me had received.   “Green or red, sir?”

I stared up at her blindly. “Excuse me?” I stammered.  “Green or red chiles on the enchiladas---which do you want?  Or, would you like both?“  “Both?” I answered with a question because I wasn’t quite sure.   “Okay dear, in the future, if you want both, just say Christmas.”  So there is was, the chile code deciphered; green and red chiles served together was a St Nick’s specialty.  And a culinary Christmas it has been since this remarkable chile awakening experience thirteen years ago.   

Although there are some two hundred varieties of chiles, my favorite is the New Mexico Green Chile, about 4-6 inches long.  Picked green in their “unripe” state (before turning red), the skins are tough.  They are often roasted which makes them easier to peel, but the most important reason for charring them is that it imports a delicious smoky flavor.  Tagged with numerous names like Big Jim, Rio Grande and Sandia, these chiles have a heat index ranging from mild to moderate or hot.  Throughout New Mexico they are offered with everything from burgers, pizzas, bagels and French fries…to haute cuisine worthy of a Michelin star.

Which wines pair best with New Mexico’s chiles?  Wine pairings with spicy recipes follows a rule of thumb that the spicier the food the colder and sweeter the wine.  Wines with lower alcohol and higher acidity counteract the burning sensation of chile.  This makes both Riesling and Gewürztraminer good choices.  Another wonderful option is a sparkling wine which pair wells with the heat of the moment due to its generally high acidity.   If you are thinking red, less oak & less tannins are desired.  Barbera or Beaujolais, along with Zinfandel will all pair nicely with spicy dishes.

You can find New Mexican chiles in your supermarket frozen foods department.  If frozen isn’t your thing, you may want to consider a visit to this land of beautiful high desert panoramas, extraordinary culture and captivating chile-based cuisine.   Can’t decide on when to visit?   Keep in mind Christmas.

Feliz Navidad!