They are all similar in that each is a garlic based Thai style sauce. All are made in Thailand except the venerable Huy Fong, made in California, USA. The Huy Fong (Rooster) is also the only one that keeps, without refrigeration.

Each sauce has it’s own distinct flavor profile. Let’s start with the star of this post.

Flying Goose Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce:

The thickest of the group, it’s quite hot, with a strong garlic flavor.  Very pungent and a bit salty due to the MSG that’s in it. I’d say it is the 2nd hottest, after the Huy Fong. Still, it’s very exciting to finally get my hands on some Flying Goose. Apparently it is readily available in the U.K., especially England and Germany, but I’ve not found one source for it here in the U.S.

Ingredients: Chilli 70%, Water, Sugar, Garlic, Flavour Enhancer (E621)[MSG], Stabilizer (E415), Citric Acid (E330), Preservative (E202)

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Huy Fong Tuong Ot Sriracha (the Rooster label):

I think this is the hottest of the four, and while it served us well when it was all we knew, after tasting the other authentic sauces, the ‘ol Rooster just isn’t the best. Tasting it brings on the heat alright, but then the saltiness shows up. Compared to the Flying Goose, the Rooster pales in depth of flavor, beyond the heat. There is also very little sweetness, even though sugar is 2nd in the list of ingredients.

Ingredients: Chili, Sugar, Salt, Garlic, Distilled Vinegar, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Bisulfite as preservatives, and Xanthan Gum

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Shark Brand Sriracha Chili Sauce (the tall bottle with the yellow label):

This one starts off sweet and vinegary, then the garlic and heat kick in. It’s also very thin compared to the 2 above. I’m told by the distributor that the Shark Brand is a very popular and authentic line in Thailand, and is one of his better sellers. I would definitely buy another bottle of the Shark.

Ingredients: Chilli 35%, Water 25%, Sugar 20%, Garlic 10%, Salt 5%, Vinegar 5%

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Chuew Huad Red Chilli Sauce:

It’s hard to pick a favorite, but this one is up there. It’s the thinnest of them all, and also the sweetest. With no preservatives at all, and salt last in the ingredients, it seems to have a really pure, fresh taste. It’s a shame it only comes in a small 100 c.c. bottle. I ordered 3 bottles the last time, along with a yellow chilli sauce that we’ve not tried yet.

We’ve mixed the Chuew Huad with a little butter, and made some delicious chicken tender skewers on the grill.

Ingredients:  Red Chilli 70%, Garlic 10%, Sugar 8%, Vinegar 7%, Salt 5% (no preservative or color added)

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Where to buy:

Flying Goose:

www.Chilliworld.com - be warned, their search function sucks. Use the direct links below.

Flying Goose -small - 200 ml

Flying Goose - large - 455 ml

Their price for the 2 small bottles was £1.99 each, shipping was £7.47 = Total: £11.45 GBP

My bill was $16.76 US Dollars for the two small, 200 ml bottles. I ordered them on Dec 7th, 2008, they shipped out on Dec 10th, and arrived on Dec 22nd. So allow about 2 weeks from ordering to receiving. Also, you should create an account. All in all, it was an ok ordering experience, as I’ve not ordered anything internationally from the ‘net before.

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Shark Brand Sriracha Chili Sauce & Chuew Huad Red Chilli Sauce:

I highly recommend importfood.com for any and all Thai ingredients! Tell owners Jerry and Yaowalak Good, that HotSauceDaily.com sent you!

Srirach Sauce, Shark Brand, 7 oz bottle - $3.29

Chuew Huad Pure fresh red chile sauce, 3.5 oz bottle - $2.79 (importfood.com incorrectly lists the bottle as 6oz.)

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Huy Fong Tuong Ot Sriracha (the Rooster label):

Available at grocery stores all over the U.S. (Food Lion, Harris Teeter, etc.)

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You can read Part 1 in this series here:  Flying Goose Sriracha Sauce Part 1

Great for spicy chile dips, veggie dips, or for just taste-testing hot sauces, these are our go to chips when we just want a plain dipping chip for sauces etc.

Simply take a round of Pita bread and slice it into 6ths or 8ths (depending on the size of the bread). Then you open each wedge, pulling apart to make 2 wedges of the top and bottom of the loaf. (See Tips below)

Next, lightly spray or coat a non-stick pan with oil (Pam works great here), get the pan medium to medium hot, and add the chips in a single layer. I like to spray the chips once with the Pam, then sprinkle some Kosher or Sea Salt onto them.

Toast them gently, turning when they begin to brown. The longer/browner you make them, of course the crispier they get. Personally, I like them just warmed, and soft. Inevitably some will still come out crispier than others.

After you’ve turned them over to get the other side done, slide them out of the pan onto a plate or bowl, and repeat until you have the amount you want.

Since these small loaves shown only yield about 12 chips per loaf, you may have to do quite a few batches to feed a small group. In that case, be sure not to over-toast them. They only last about 20-30 minutes after toasting, before they get too hard ( for me, anyway).

That’s all there is to making your own Pita chips for your next party or taste test group!

Tips from Brian:

• I like to begin toasting these with the rough inside of the pita loaf face down. That way, there are lots of “nooks and crannies” to get toasty (sorry, Thomas’).
• I only salt the tops of the wedges when they first enter the pan. We don’t want too much salt to color the sauce we are tasting. You can, if you wish, just omit the salt… then you know you are only tasting the salt content in the sauce, or dip, or whatever you are sampling.
• Plan on toasting enough of these wedges for your needs right off the bat. No one wants to be fooling with this process, when there’s food to be had!

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial on making your own Pita chips at home! Let me know if you try this recipe/tip by leaving a Comment below.

Flying Goose Sriracha Sauce is very scarce in the United States.  I’ve only found one online source from the UK  for it.  I ordered 2 small bottles of the basic sauce.

I’ll update this post after I have a chance to try it and compare it to the Huy Fong brand, which is made in Rosemead, Ca. and of course is commonly available here.

<– Here’s a close-up of the front label showing the Flying Goose logo and NHAN CON NGONG BAY text underneath.

Chilli: 70%, Water, Sugar, Garlic, Flavour Enhancer (E621), Stabilizer (E415), Citrick Acid (E330), Preservative (E202)

(They have funny ingredients in Thailand… E621? What’s that?)

<– Left side of bottle describing the product. Yummy!

Finally, the manufactuer’s info: Flying Goose Brand, Sea World Coldstorage Co., LTD.

Chonburl, Thailand

If  anyone knows of a source in the U.S for this stuff, PLEASE let me know!

Stay tuned for a taste test and review.

[Ed. Note] Read Part 2 of this series here: Flying Goose Sriracha Sauce Part 2

Buddah’s 2008 Cherry/Jalapeno Hanukkah Preserves:

My friend, Buddah has created 6 unique collectible jars of Cherry Jalapeno preserves.  Each jar is sealed in wax and topped with a Happy Buddha figure.

These are being sold on eBay. You can read how Buddah made these and the significance of the Buddhas, here on Taste the Fear: Buddah’s 2008 Hanukkah Preserves

Here’s a link to all six auctions on ebay.

Good luck!

[Update: 12/31/08 - The auctions are closed. All items were sold. Congrats, Buddah!]