The Spicy History of Sriracha Sauce

Level 1 Level 2
İngilizce Öğren LingoVivoNews

The origins of sriracha sauce date back to mid-20th century Si Racha, Thailand, when Thanom Chakkapak, drawing inspiration from her father's recipe, concocted a unique blend of sweet, spicy, and salty flavors. Naming it "Sriraja Panich," her homemade sauce gained local and regional acclaim.

Notably, the family did not patent the name, and the transparent display of ingredients on the bottle reflected a deliberate choice not to keep the recipe a guarded secret. The emergence of sriracha as a global phenomenon, however, took an unexpected turn with the story of David Tran, a Vietnamese immigrant.

Arriving in the US in the late 1970s aboard the Huy Fong boat, Tran, dissatisfied with the available hot sauces in California, embarked on a venture that would reshape the spicy condiment landscape. Selling his version of Thai hot sauce in baby food jars from a van, Tran established Huy Fong Foods.

Branding his creation as "Sriracha" and featuring a rooster on the bottle (symbolizing his birth year), Tran achieved unparalleled success, reaching $150 million in sales in 2019. Despite this financial triumph, Tran, echoing Chakkapak's original ethos, emphasized that the true satisfaction lies in people savoring the excellence of a well-crafted hot sauce.

Questions

1- What inspired Thanom Chakkapak to create her sauce in Si Racha, Thailand?

2- Why did Chakkapak's family choose not to patent the name of their sauce?

3- What was the significance of the rooster on the Huy Fong sriracha sauce bottle?

Congratulations!

You have completed the comprehension questions. 

Parts of this lesson are based on: An article Engoo Daily News.