by Huy Fong Sriracha has started to work its way back unto the shelves, though some people are balking at the anemic-looking sauce that is not quite as bright red as it used to be because they have struggled to get peppers at the right level of ripeness. And since this company has been having ongoing troubles the last few years, you never know when their products will disappear from the shelves again. So I have continued to search out Sriracha substitutes, and I have three more to add to the list. Here is the rundown on those.
J-Lek: This sauce is produced in Thailand (where Sriracha originated, more on that here) and it is made from sun-ripened chili peppers that are then pickled. It has an immediate tang followed by a peppery kick, and that taste from the pickling process comes through as well. This sauce has a lot of sweetness, and it is pretty thick, so it is more like a Sriracha ketchup. There are hints of garlic, but not took much, and just a little bit of funkiness expected from this type of sauce.
As for the heat, it comes up to a little less than Mild on my scale, despite the fact that the bottle shows it at three out of four chilis. This one is definitely not as complex as some of the similar sauces out there, and you can consider it a starter Sriracha. I did enjoy it, but I don’t expect J-Lek to take up a regular place on my hot sauce shelf. I found this at my local HEB, and if it is not at a store near you, it is available online. Note that they also have an extra-hot version of this, so I will be keeping my eye out for that.
Buldak Sriracha: Buldak is best known as a brand of Ramen noodles by Samyang, and they have several very spicy versions available (more on that here). These noodles typically include a hot sauce packet, and those sauces are also sold in bottles. Just recently, they came up with their own Sriracha, and I stumbled upon it at World Market. This one has a richness to it and a nice depth of flavor, making it a more complex Sriracha. It has a little bit of funkiness to it and a good sweetness along with hints of garlic. There is also a little bit of sourness, but that is not overpowering. I should also note that it does have that aftertaste you get from Ramen noodles, likely because of the artificial chicken flavor. If that bothers you, then you may want to avoid this one, but for me it is just a nitpick.
Most notable for this sauce, it really delivers on the heat! It goes beyond Medium on my scale and is approaching Hot, and that is pretty high for a Sriracha considering the sauce is generally in the Mild range. I really enjoyed this one and will likely keep a bottle at the ready. As mentioned, I found it at World Market, and you can also purchase it online.
Sky Valley Sriracha: This was not a sauce I was familiar with until Instacart put together a list of the top hot sauces by state across the country, and Sky Valley got the top ranking in Oregon and Washington State. It is not one that I regularly find on the shelves at stores near me, but I recently stumbled upon it at Sprouts. This one has some of the tang you expect from a Sriracha sauce–but not too much–followed by a notable punch of garlic and some nice sweetness. It has some funk to it, and–like the J-Lek above–I would say it is much like an Asian ketchup (in a good way).
The heat is not immediate, but you feel the tingle and I would say this gets close to Medium on my scale. It is a good substitute for Huy Fong, and this is another sauce that may join my regular lineup. As mentioned, I found it at Sprouts, and I am guessing it is readily available in stores around Oregon and Washington State since it counts as their top hot sauce. You can also purchase it online.
Nutrition Info:
J-Lek Sriracha
Ingredients: Pickled red chili 39% (Red chili 86%, salt, acidity regulator (E260)), water, sugar, garlic 4%, salt, thickener (E1422), natural color (E160c), acidity regular (E260, E330), preservative (E202), stabilizer (E415)
Serving Size: 1 tsp (6g)
Calories: 10
Fat: 0g (0g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 0g
Carbs: 2g
Sodium: 140mg
Buldak Sriracha
Ingredients: Sriracha Sauce [Red Pepper, Vinegar, Garlic, Water, Tomato Paste, Dextrin, Sugar, Salt, Oleoresin Paprika(Color), Artificial Jalapeno Flavor, Oleoresin Capsicum, Polysorbate 80, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Xantan Gum, Potassium Sorbate(Preservative)], Water, Artificial Chicken Flavor, Allulose, Soy Sauce(Water, Soybean, Salt, Wheat, Fructose, Sodium Carbonate, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Garlic Extract, Steviol Glycoside, Maltodextrin, Sugar, Yeast Extract), Onion, Vinegar(Citric Acid, Corn Powder, Yeast Extract, Water), Chili Pepper Oleoresin, Paprika Extract(Color).
Serving Size: 1 tsp (6g)
Calories: 5
Fat: 0g (0g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 0g
Carbs: 1g
Sodium: 130mg
Sky Valley Sriracha
Ingredients: Water, jalapeño peppers (red jalapeño peppers, citric acid), cane sugar, distilled vinegar, salt, dried garlic, spice, less than 2% of xanthan gum.
Serving Size: 1 tsp (6g)
Calories: 5
Fat: 0g (0g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 0g
Carbs: 1g
Sodium: 120mg
