What is it Wednesday? – Sriracha

What it looks like?

What is it?

Sriracha (pronounced SIR-rotch-ah) is a thick, like ketchup, chili sauce that adds spice to whatever it is added to.  It’s a wonderful mix of fresh chilies and garlic.

fyi…Some people refer to this delicious stuff as Rooster sauce due to the image of a rooster on the bottle.

Health benefits?

So I don’t think Sriracha has any real health benefits but I think it’s important to point out that they use quality ingredients and never any artificial flavoring or colors.  The product taste and look can vary because they don’t use anything artificial.  One batch could be much hotter than the next, it all depends on the batch of peppers they get.

Sriracha is known for its heat.  Many people believe spicy foods have health benefits such as aiding in weight loss, lower blood preasure and helping with stress because it might boost serotonin levels.

How to use it?

Sriracha is very easy to use.  Simply add it to the foods you already enjoy.  Here are a few examples of what it can be added to:

• Eggs
• Soups
• Sour Cream
• Steak
• Baked beans
• Nuts prior to roasting
• Veggies prior to roasting
• Sauce
• Pasta
• Hamburgers
• Pizza

VC&C thoughts:

Okay, it’s time to come clean.  I love me some rooster sauce – I mean Sriracha 😉  However, this wasn’t always the case.

I remember when I first started dating my now husband and he had this strange bottle with a picture of a rooster in his cabinet.  I wasn’t sure what it was but it didn’t really look all that appetizing to me.  Over the last 5 years I’ve watched my husband put this stuff on just about anything he would eat.  Up until a couple months ago I had never touched the stuff.

My first taste of Sriracha was at my go-to lunch spot, Freshii.  I wanted to add a little heat to my meal so I asked them to add a bit of Sriracha to the broth of my soup.  This was the best!!!  It not only added a touch of heat but it added a really nice flavor to the soup too!

If you have not tried Sriracha and like a little heat, I insist you go out and try it now!  You can thank me later 😉

Question:

Have you ever had Sriracha?  What do you like to add it to?

Disclaimer: I must say I’m not a registered dietitian. This post is based on my own personal knowledge, opinions and research.