Is Sriracha Vietnamese Or Thai

[Courtland Boland]

Thaifood has been in the US since long before I was born. It was largely introduced when Vietnam War soldiers were on R&R in Thailand and enjoyed local dishes, fell for the women who prepared them, and brought Thai brides back to the states who cooked their specialties to bring in money. And they weren't the only ones-- huge numbers of Thai immigrants settled in the LA area in the '60s and opened up restaurants to offer a taste of home in their new country.

But it took a few decades of word-of-mouth recommendations, a comparison to Chinese food as the "healthier alternative", and a global trend for exploring international dishes for Thai food to grow far more popular than the percentage of Thai-American population would suggest. Thai food is everywhere nowadays, getting every more ingrained into American culture, and even if my mouth wasn't currently full with this 30 Minute Thai Beef Stir Fry with Sriracha Roasted Peanuts, you wouldn't hear me voicing any complaints. Thai food is here and it's here to stay for good reason, my friends.

One thing that happens when a cuisine gets as big as Thai food has is that people will start putting their own spins on it, and I'm guilty as charged. Because while I love an authentic Thai dish just as much as the next person, when the idea to include some sriracha-seasoned peanuts comes to mind, I'm not going to throw that gem away. Instead, I'll throw some sriracha-tossed peanuts into the oven while I work on my stir fry and then lament the fact that I didn't make a triple batch of peanuts so I could save some more for snacking.

The stir fry, by the way, is ready to eat by the time those peanuts are roasted, which puts this recipe (prep and all included) at 30 minutes from start to finish. As a woman who is always equal parts lazy, busy, and hungry, I can definitely appreciate a dish that takes up little time for big payoff.

I keep thinking that it would also be great if served over zucchini noodles instead of including zucchini in the stir fry itself, too, if you're so inclined. I almost went that direction but I figured that I'd give people options instead. Oh, and you could also use chicken if you prefer! Basically, you can get real creative with this one to suit your tastes, diet, and groceries, which makes it a great staple recipe, even for some of the pickier eaters out there.

One thing I do HIGHLY suggest is that you look for Thai basil, even if you have to go out of your way to swing by an Asian grocer to pick it up. I know, we're all about saving time with this one, but if you can find it without too much effort you will be so glad that you got that spicy, anise-like herb to toss into the mix. If you absolutely can't, Italian basil will do, but the flavor just ain't the same.

I think Thai basil is my favorite herb, honestly, which is why I am constantly forced to remind myself that I can't make Thai food for every post. No promises that there won't be another dozen before the end of the summer, though. A girl's gotta follow her heart, right?

When you try this 30 Minute Thai Beef Stir Fry with Sriracha Roasted Peanuts, make sure to take a picture and tag #hostthetoast on Instagram or Twitter. Let me know how you think it stacks up to your favorite Thai takeout!

Hi, Judy, If you're using Google Chrome, you can increase the font size by clicking on the icon in the top right corner of your browser that looks like 3 horizontal lines (it's to the right of the address bar). A menu will drop down and you'll see the "Zoom" option. Click the + sign next to the number and viola! Everything on the page increases in size.

Long time lurker. This is the one that pushed me over the edge to leave a comment. This blog is just TOO GOOD. I don't cook often, but when I do i EXCLUSIVELY use recipes I've gotten from you, and everyone goes crazy for them. I will never stop recommending this blog to people. I haven't tried this yet but I fucking adore thai food. Thanks for everything, Morgan.

Say hello to that warm, crispy edged, fluffy brioche bun. Enriched with just a hint of butter and egg, and much lighter than a true brioche, its slight sweetness and tender crumb are the ultimate counterpoint to the sharp sweet-sour contrast of the thai green mango & papaya salad. The classic lime, fish sauce and chilli dressing is bright and fresh, supplemented with liberal handfuls of thai basil and coriander, peanuts for crunch. An aioli-sriracha sauce delivers a creamy heat, and chunks of flaking grilled fish finish it off.

Hi Claudia

Your fish burger is out of this world. The flavors of the meaty succulent fish, the Thai mango papaya salad and tom top it off that home baked brioche bun. I am in heaven right now. Great recipe and wonderful post!

Technology could be a wonderful thing but can also drive us crazy, lol.

Loreto

This homemade sriracha sauce recipe is more like the original Thai recipe, so much better than anything from the grocery store, and can be made with fresh or fermented peppers. Time to make sriracha hot sauce!

Here in the United States, red jalapeno peppers are used to make sriracha sauce, though bright red Fresno chili peppers make a fine substitute. You can also use red Thai chili peppers to make your own sriracha hot sauce, which have more heat on the Scoville Scale.

Fermenting the peppers breaks down the carbohydrates and converts them to acid, which mellows the peppers considerably, affecting the overall flavor. I suggest trying the recipe both ways, with and without fermenting, and see for yourself which version of sriracha you prefer.

There is an obvious difference between the sriracha you get from the store vs. your homemade version. The homemade sriracha has a thinner consistency and isn't quite as sweet, though you can adjust sweetness easily by adding more or less sugar.

You can also adjust the thickness of your final sriracha sauce by adjusting the amount of peppers used in the recipe, by adjusting the amount of vinegar and water used, and also by adjusting your cooking time. Simmer the sauce longer to thicken it up if you'd like.

Personally, I like my own homemade version better, but I wouldn't throw away my bottle of Huy Fong Food's rooster sauce! I mean, major KUDOS to David Tran for giving us a sauce that made Americans realize there is more to condiments than ketchup and mustard.

It should keep a few months easily in the fridge, or even longer. It's all about the acidity. To be technical, target level ph for shelf stable foods is below 4.6 ph, but should probably be lower for home cooks, around 4.0 or so, to account for errors.

I find them locally sometimes, but I also order through Amazon. Here is a link to some bottles I like (affiliate link, my friends!): Swing Top Glass Bottles, 8.5 Ounce - Set of 4. If you like the smaller bottles that most hot sauce makers use, here's another link: Hot Sauce Bottles, 5 Oz - 24 Pack.

XiXi, yes, fermentation adds a whole new dimension of flavor, a nice funk factor that many people enjoy. For dried pods, use 4x the amount, as dried pods are 1/4 the weight of fresh. Let me know how it turns out for you. Enjoy!

I've fermented my peppers and want to make the sauce but the recipe says 2 pounds in either case fresh or fermented. I realize chopped size makes a difference (I just chopped mine into rings not ground up like a mash) but I've fermented a large amount and an estimated volume measurement per recipe batch would be most helpful even if only an estimate? Thank you

Hi Larry, thanks for asking. First things first, converting weight to a volume measurement can be a bit tricky due to the difference in size and density of peppers you are using VS mine. So it is safer to go by weight. But a very approximate one pound of chili peppers roughly equals to 2-3 cups, more or less, when chopped. Again, this can vary based on the size and type of the peppers being used. Plus, chopping into rings may occupy even more volume compared to a finer chop or mash. The fermentation can change the volume slightly, too. So you could start with something like 4 (-6) cups, and see how it goes - it is always easier to add more than to go the other way around.

Glad you're enjoying them, Melissa. Really you can just give them a shake to bring them together again. However, for the next time, use less liquid - you can use NONE or only some of the brine, and even reduce the amount of vinegar. You can also add in more peppers and reprocess. Lastly, you might try xanthan gum as a thickener. I hope this helps.

Mike, thanks for the overview and the details for making either a fresh or a fermented sauce. I have bunch of ripe red peppers from my garden (Early Flame and Jalafuego jalapenos and some red Anaheims). I think I will follow the more authentic/traditional Fermented recipe, because I naturally read both.

Awesome recipe. I went the fermentation route as it seemed more authentic and I was in no rush. I fermented for about 12 days and it turned out perfect. I think I like it better than the store bought version! Anybody who likes Sriracha should give this a try because it's so easy, and if you don't have time to ferment, I'm sure the fresh version is just as good. Thanks Mike!

Dave, that's a fine substitution. Sauces with enough vinegar/acidity typically last 6 months out and 12 months in the fridge or longer. If you want to make them shelf stable very longer term storage, look into water bath preserving. It really should last a long time, though.

Question: how does one find unchlorinated water? Does filtering remove chlorine? Our system uses a form of chlorination that does not evaporate--an issue for those who keep fish tanks. I presume that distilled water does not have chlorine but also no flavor.

I want to try your sriracha recipe, however, here in Arizona we are between our spring and fall pepper seasons. The summer heat stops the process. However, I do have bags of dehydrated peppers. I'd like to try fermentation. Will the dried peppers work? Also I have lots of ground pepper powder. Would that work?

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