Sriracha Fans, Brace Yourselves—Another Shortage May Be Coming

Huy Fong Foods halted production of our favorite hot sauce again.

Bad news, Sriracha fans. These coming months may see yet another shortage in the hot sauce department, just in time for the weather to heat up.

News has been circulating that Huy Fong Foods, the brand behind the popular hot sauce, will be halting production of its Sriracha for likely a few months, possibly making it much harder to find that famous rooster on store shelves. Here’s what we know so far.

Why Is Huy Fong Foods Halting Sriracha Production Right Now?

According to a letter Huy Fong Foods sent to wholesale buyers, the company is stopping production of its hot sauce due to red jalapeño peppers, or lack thereof. The letter states this particular crop may not produce the right mix of sweet and spicy flavors because of the color of the peppers. Huy Fong Foods hopes to get production up and going again later in the year after Labor Day.

Huy Fong Foods stopped the production of its beloved Sriracha back in 2022 for a similar reason, stating that the chile peppers were not up to par due to certain weather conditions.

The shortage of these red jalapeño peppers will likely impact shoppers' ability to find Huy Fong Foods' Sriracha this summer. If you're a spice lover, you may want to consider stocking up while you can. If all else fails, there's always homemade Sriracha to get you by for the time being.

What Sriracha Fans Are Saying

The online community is already chatting about this possible shortage. On a recent Reddit thread, one person stated that a possible drought was to blame for an upcoming Sriracha shortage, but many were not so sure. One commenter said, "There's no drought in Ventura County California where they used to get their peppers."

Someone else added the real issue has to deal with relationships with suppliers: "Sounds like they're trying to come up with any reason other than 'years ago we screwed over our long-term supplier and now were struggling to secure other suppliers who are willing to overlook that and work with us who can also provide the quality we need.'"

Others pointed out that they can find another type of Sriracha, Underwood, at Costco. Some said this brand could be "going for the uppercut" against Huy Fong Foods. 

Read the original article on All Recipes.