Author Notes

Another Thai-centric sauce is the ubiquitous Sriracha, affectionately dubbed ‘Rooster’. Apparently, it’s not just for Thais anymore, as I have heard that is in just about every kitchen (from the Asians to Falafel stands and even in many fine dining establishments). I don’t have to go to Asian markets to pick up a bottle--Wal-Mart in Kennesaw, GA even carries it (I was on location last year and found it there!). It’s so popular that The New York Times has written about it and the ‘Rooster’ has a Facebook page with over 220,000 fans.

Don’t get me wrong--I love my Rooster and for the cost, why make it from scratch? I guess I’m just into testing out flavors and how they blend together--just curious, with some late summer time on my hands and gorgeous peppers available in my garden and at the farmers market. Plus, upon inspection of my ‘Rooster’ sauce, I found it contains Xanthan Gum and Sodium Bisulfite. I suppose it means that the commercial ‘Rooster’ is fermented, and uses the Sodium Bisulfite similarly to wine, as a preservative. - edamame2003

—edamame2003

Test Kitchen Notes

Warning: once you make edamame2003's version, you may never be able to go back to commercial sriracha again. The vibrant color and piquancy of the fresh fresno peppers, combined with plenty of garlic and a boost of vinegar, make for a zippy, versatile condiment that would be great with anything from banh mi to scrambled eggs. We'd never used palm sugar before and were intrigued by its gentle sweetness, which helps to round out the heat of the sriracha. - A&M —The Editors