Ohhh Sriracha…

From: http://qz.com/132738/the-highly-unusual-company-behind-siracha-the-worlds-coolest-hot-sauce/

http://qz.com/132738/the-highly-unusual-company-behind-siracha-the-worlds-coolest-hot-sauce/

Read a very interesting article about the growth into prominence of Sriracha hot sauce, interesting point I never thought of:

“Sriracha sales last year reached some 20 million bottles to the tune of $60 million dollars, percentage sales growth is in the double digits each year, and it does all this without spending a cent on advertising….

Today hot sauce is an emerging global business. The industry, which is among the10 fastest growing in the US, now rakes in over $1 billion a year in global sales. “

Wow that’s a lot of hot sauce! What’s even more, that’s a lot of chillis!

“One of the few data points Tran will reveal about Huy Fong is that it processed some 100 million pounds (45 million kilograms) of fresh chilies last year over the course of its harvest season, which lasts only 10 weeks and provides for the entirety of the company’s yearlong Sriracha sales.  ”We can only grow as quickly as our ability to harvest chilies grows,” Tran said.”

With the massive increase in the hot sauce business, what’s the increase in demand for chillies? Do they source differently? Not Huy Fong (who produces Sriracha) who has only one producer:

 “So Huy Fong’s Rosemead factory sits only an hour away from Underwood Family Farms, which has been the company’s only chili supplier for the past 20 years.”

Interesting to note, Huy Fong has not spent any money on advertising or marketing, according to the article, and come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Sriracha ad anywhere. In fact, I can’t even remember the first time I ever saw a Sriracha bottle, it’s seemed to just always have been there. I wonder how many chillis they go through in a year?