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Sriracha maker in hot dispute with supplier over high-quality peppers

Books

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Banned
Feb 4, 2019
2,180
https://abc7.com/food/sriracha-maker-in-hot-dispute-with-supplier-over-high-quality-peppers/5309977/

Sriracha lovers may not have noticed, but Huy Fong Foods is no longer using the peppers it once advertised as a key, high-quality ingredient grown exclusively for the sauce maker.

News of the change comes as Huy Fong Foods and Underwood Family Farms in Ventura County are suing each other.

"Eonomics. It is all economics," said Eric Feingold, lead attorney for Huy Fong Foods.

Huy Fong Foods' creator, David Tran, had touted Underwood Family Farms' peppers for nearly 30 years, saying that he was particular about his peppers and that the fruit and vegetable farm's product was the best. Then the cost of production went up, and Tran came to the conclusion that he was getting a raw deal.
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Underwood Family Farms declined to comment on the latest lawsuit, but in court papers it claims that Huy Fong Foods violated a written and oral contract to buy Underwood Family Farms peppers and pay for its specialized harvesting equipment.
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Processing peppers became a pricey business for Huy Fong Foods. In court documents, the company says it paid Underwood $190 million between 2008 and 2016.

Huy Fong Foods is now purchasing the peppers on the open market for a lower cost.
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I've noticed that their hot sauce is not nearly as good as it once was. Perhaps I only retroactively noticed the difference after reading this, but I don't think so.

Still the best condiment on the market and I hope to take their factory tour one day.
 
Doomsayer

Doomsayer

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
2,621
Their factory tour is pretty rad, I went a couple of years ago. You get to take home one of those high quality peppers as well. I went with a big group so we all made our own sauce with them. They also had Sriracha ice cream, popcorn, chocolate, and chips.

Pretty disappointing to hear about the switch. I hope they work it out.
 
studyguy

studyguy

Member
Oct 26, 2017
11,282
HOLY SHIT THIS IS MY CUSTOMER! That is to say Underwood Farms
They actually told Sriracha to fuck off and started making their own hot sauces, it's pretty good.
I got some samples.

In any case they moved to start production on their own labels and bottles for production, we're mid way through that, but beats me how that's gonna go, loss of Sriracha basically flipped Underwood's entire production on its head. Also I'd like to take this opportunity to mention how much the economics of global trade issues from China impact the local costs of agriculture, as everything that touches the packaging aspect of produce is getting royally fucked at least on the west coast. If you're in agriculture, somewhere on your supply chain, you've incurred a jump of 10% looking at 25% later down this year. Could be from the twist ties you use, could be the corrugated, the nails that go into the #2 pallets they use to ship or maybe resin they use for plastics... Sounds like nothing to hear a twist tie went up a fraction of a cent, but when you realize these farmers use them on a scale of millions then you start realizing why it's causing them to shit themselves. Good times.
 
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LQX

LQX

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Oct 25, 2017
1,871
Tried Sriracha for the first time like a year or so ago....I was very underwhelmed.
 
OP
OP

Books

Alt account
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Feb 4, 2019
2,180
studyguy said:
HOLY SHIT THIS IS MY CUSTOMER! That is to say Underwood Farms
They actually told Sriracha to fuck off and started making their own hot sauces, it's pretty good.
I got some samples.

In any case they moved to start production on their own labels and bottles for production, we're mid way through that, but beats me how that's gonna go, loss of Sriracha basically flipped Underwood's entire production on its head. Also I'd like to take this opportunity to mention how much the economics of global trade issues from China impact the local costs of agriculture, as everything that touches the packaging aspect of produce is getting royally fucked at least on the west coast. If you're in agriculture, somewhere on your supply chain, you've incurred a jump of 10% looking at 25% later down this year. Could be from the twist ties you use, could be the corrugated, the nails that go into the #2 pallets they use to ship or maybe resin they use for plastics... Sounds like nothing to hear a twist tie went up a fraction of a cent, but when you realize these farmers use them on a scale of millions then you start realizing why it's causing them to shit themselves. Good times.
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Shit's crazy. I can't imagine my main client and breadwinner Srircha telling me they want to go elsewhere because it's cheaper and breaking a 30 year relationship. I also can't wrap my head around $190 million being paid in 8 years for just hot sauce.

I'm tempted to try this new hot sauce. Won't be the same as Sriracha since they have their own way of making theirs.
 
zyvorg

zyvorg

Member
Oct 25, 2017
572
I could tell something was off with some bottles I have tried lately, figured they were just old bottles or something, what a shame
 
Akira86

Akira86

Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,589
studyguy said:
HOLY SHIT THIS IS MY CUSTOMER! That is to say Underwood Farms
They actually told Sriracha to fuck off and started making their own hot sauces, it's pretty good.
I got some samples.

In any case they moved to start production on their own labels and bottles for production, we're mid way through that, but beats me how that's gonna go, loss of Sriracha basically flipped Underwood's entire production on its head. Also I'd like to take this opportunity to mention how much the economics of global trade issues from China impact the local costs of agriculture, as everything that touches the packaging aspect of produce is getting royally fucked at least on the west coast. If you're in agriculture, somewhere on your supply chain, you've incurred a jump of 10% looking at 25% later down this year. Could be from the twist ties you use, could be the corrugated, the nails that go into the #2 pallets they use to ship or maybe resin they use for plastics... Sounds like nothing to hear a twist tie went up a fraction of a cent, but when you realize these farmers use them on a scale of millions then you start realizing why it's causing them to shit themselves. Good times.
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hrm makes you wonder why Sriracha inc suddenly got so salty lmao
 
Pein

Pein

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,231
NYC
Sriracha fucking sucks anyway.

I don't know how it got so big anyway, it's not even spicy, just red gloop.
 
NSA

NSA

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
3,892
One of my co-workers family members started or was somehow involved with starting the Sriracha company thing. I never got the full story, I never liked it.
 
MazeHaze

MazeHaze

Member
Nov 1, 2017
8,579
I was really into Sriracha around 2010 or 2011 when there was a big US sriracha craze for some reason. It's good, but I ate it on everything for a year or two, and now I don't even like it anymore. The slight hint of garlic and the ketchupy texture, it just never sounds appealing. I've been vinegar based hot sauce only ever since.
 
studyguy

studyguy

Member
Oct 26, 2017
11,282
The Underwood hot sauce literally just tastes like old Sriracha but slightly hotter.
It's pretty funny. They also made a BBQ sriracha style sauce that's really nice.

the-underwoods-1.jpg
 
Slayven

Slayven

Never read a comic in his life
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Oct 25, 2017
93,112
The dude that owns the company has always been willing to bring the smoke at a moments notice
 

Deleted member 17402

User requested account closure
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Oct 27, 2017
7,125
Man forget about Sriracha. That shit sucks nowadays. I'm all about Valentina. Got sick of Sriracha very fast after a few months of using it years ago.
 
Rizific

Rizific

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,950
Gonna sound hipster for sure, but Sriracha today tastes different to me than when I first tasted Sriracha in 2003. And then it blew up and became a pop culture food. Not much of a fan these days though.
 
studyguy

studyguy

Member
Oct 26, 2017
11,282
Books said:
Shit's crazy. I can't imagine my main client and breadwinner Srircha telling me they want to go elsewhere because it's cheaper and breaking a 30 year relationship. I also can't wrap my head around $190 million being paid in 8 years for just hot sauce.

I'm tempted to try this new hot sauce. Won't be the same as Sriracha since they have their own way of making theirs.
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We move like $4mil out of just those little twist ties alone out of our location here and we're tiny compared to our other branches. Literally sitting on half a million in stock right now that will be gone in 2mo of that alone. Agriculture is wacky.

lobdale said:
But I can't find anywhere to even buy it...
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Like I said it's technically not out aside from a single specialty run we helped them accomplish so far.
 
itwasTuesday

itwasTuesday

The Fallen
Oct 30, 2017
8,078
They didn't kill bacon, siracha or avocados.

I like their garlic chili sauce better as well. But I have both in the fridge.
g1IRjEn.jpg

No sugar.
 
hibikase

hibikase

User requested ban
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Oct 26, 2017
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So I guess that's why sriracha feels so weak and bland now?

I thought it was just me having grown too much resistance to capsaicin.
 
wandering

wandering

flâneur
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
2,136
Not to be pedantic, but sriracha is a generic type of sauce from Thailand, not a brand. The brand that's famous in the US is Huy Fong.

Anyway, Lao Gan Ma chili oil, now that's where it's at.
 
lobdale

lobdale

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,990
wandering said:
Not to be pedantic, but sriracha is a generic type of sauce from Thailand, not a brand. The brand that's famous in the US is Huy Fong.
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Why you mansplaining sriracha sauce in a thread full of sriracha enthusiasts!!!

EDIT: alright now that you mention it most people seem to be missing the fact that there are lots of different makers of sriracha sauce
 
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Parch

Parch

Member
Nov 6, 2017
7,980
Sriracha has a pretty distinct flavor. Not my preferred hot sauce, but I can see how changing the pepper supplier could change the product.
 
BLEEN

BLEEN

Member
Oct 27, 2017
21,890
I'm fine. Moved on from Sriracha a few years ago. Been on a Yucateco kick lately.
 

UnderNewOwnership

Member
Dec 4, 2017
3,097
As MazeHaze said, the ketchupy texture and strong whiff of granulated garlic (made stronger by the underlying sweetness of the sauce) tend to put me off Huy Fong.
I know it may sound like the most white people thing ever, but I love Dexter Holland's Super Hot Gringo Bandito. It's vinegary but chunky, so it avoids looking/tasting like hot pickle juice (hi, Tabasco!) and it packs a pretty decent kick. I don't like sweet hot sauces.
 
Aztechnology

Aztechnology

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Oct 25, 2017
14,139
LQX said:
Tried Sriracha for the first time like a year or so ago....I was very underwhelmed.
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It's really only properly good on a few foods. Sambal Oelek is generally a paste Chile paste type option though for Asian foods. Sriracha is just convenient because of the container. If you're putting it on things like Burritos or something though you're making a mistake.
 
golem

golem

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,878
Weird that people in this thread seem to stick to one hot sauce or another. Keeping a variety on hand is the way to go.
 
OP
OP

Books

Alt account
Banned
Feb 4, 2019
2,180
golem said:
Weird that people in this thread seem to stick to one hot sauce or another. Keeping a variety on hand is the way to go.
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No reason to switch if you find a good one. If you try something new, you're out five bucks if it's too vinegar-y or not spicy enough.
 
Kuro

Kuro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,653
Sriracha is only decent on shrimp and that's it. Taste is kind of nauseating otherwise. I'd rather use 99% vinegar Tobasco over it.
 
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