Yes, It's True, The World Is Facing A Sriracha Shortage...THAT COULD LAST ALL SUMMER?!
Well, this an absolute nightmare for many fans of of the greatest condiments in the game.
A sriracha shortage is upon us, friends.
Rest assured, I never enjoy being the bearer of bad news, especially the kind that will leave many plates feeling empty…and for the foreseeable future, according to The LA Times:
Huy Fong Foods, makers of the Sriracha hot sauce with the iconic green cap and the rooster on the bottle, is warning of a shortage of its popular condiment this summer. That shortage can be attributed to weather conditions in a single region of Mexico, according to Donna Lam, executive operations officer for the company.
“It’s a crop thing and something that we can’t predict,” Lam told The Times on Thursday. “It’s been happening since last year and this year is a lot worse, and that’s what put us back.”
In a sign of how closely guarded and competitive the overall market is for Sriracha and Sriracha-like sauces, Lam declined to specify what region of Mexico is involved, or the name of the supplier.
And, according to CBS News, it could last through the summer:
A shortage of the popular hot sauce Sriracha may last the rest of the summer, said sauce manufacturer Huy Fong Foods.
In April, the company warned customers that they were still facing a monthslong shortage of chili peppers and it was affecting their distribution.
"As you may recall, on July 24, 2020, we sent out an email to all customers that we have been experiencing a shortage of chili pepper inventory," a letter to customers, like restaurants and stores, reads. Huy Fong Foods warned those who buy their products not to promise customers they'll have them, unless they already have them in stock.
"Currently, due to weather conditions affecting the quality of chili peppers, we now face a more severe shortage of chili," the letter reads. They said it is out of their control and without the essential ingredient they can't produce their Chili Garlic, Sambal Oelek and Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce.
Huy Fong Foods said any orders submitted on or after April 19, will not be scheduled for delivery until after Labor Day, which is Sept. 6.
Cue the panic buying, and people beating the sh*t out of one another at grocery stores over bottles of the good stuff.
Or, maybe you learn how to make your own, if you’re like me and pretty sure you couldn’t win a grocery store fist fight.
Either way, thoughts and prayers are with anyone affected by this worldwide nightmare. May God have mercy on us all.