I’m someone who definitely likes her food hot hot hot, so I typically always have a bottle of Tabasco at the ready. However, a friend of mine came over for breakfast the other day with one of those keychain bottles of Sriracha. This of course begged the question: Tabasco vs Sriracha, what’s the difference? Was I doing it all wrong?
The Look
They obviously look a lil’ different. Sriracha is a little more solid and pasty while Tabasco tends to take a more liquid consistency. Additionally, there’s something about the taste that can easily be identified as one or the other.
The Taste
While Tabasco sauce is more Cajun-inspired and is composed of only distilled vinegar, red pepper, and salt, Sriracha is more ketchup-y with a laundry list of ingredients including chili, sugar, and garlic.
I checked out the website, Pepperscale, an authority on all things hot. They suggest Tabasco sauce with any Cajun meal, southern dish, chicken wings, eggs, fried foods, and Bloody Mary cocktails. Meanwhile Sriracha shines with a variety of Asian-inspired dishes. However, I would argue that it tastes just as good on eggs as Tabasco.
The Process
According to the McIlhenny Company website (the OG Tabasco sauce), they age their Original Red Sauce for up to three years in white oak barrels to get that flavor we all know and love.
Meanwhile, the production of Sriracha is pretty unknown. According to their parent company website, Huy Fong, “it was quoted by someone that it was easier to get into the Pentagon than into Huy Fong.” They take the phrase “secret sauce” to a whole new level.
A Chicago Tribune article estimated that Tabasco brings in about $100 million in sales annually. It was harder to find how much Sriracha brings in, but it guesstimated that they produce around 20 million bottles a year.
So which is better?
People have some hot takes when it comes to their allegiance to these two condiments (see what I did there? Hot takes? Tabasco and Sriracha pun?). This dude over at Foodbeast is Team Tabasco, going so far as to call it a “work of art.” On the other hand, Thrillist ranked Tabasco Original at #8 and Sriracha at #1 out of 10 hot sauce contenders.
Meanwhile, our very own Spoon contributor wasn’t too impressed with either when she ranked the 11 of the best hot sauce brands. She ranked Sriracha in dead last with Tabasco at #8. Another Spoon contributor shocked the world with the headline, “Sriracha Is Good, but It’s Not God.” Dayum.
So. Tabasco vs Sriracha. Who comes out on top in the eyes of Gilly Dukoff?
Personally, I’ll always be Team Tabasco. However, I’m not opposed to shaking things up and squeezin’ some Sriracha the next time I make eggs. Perhaps I’ll even try making my own Sriracha. Maybe I’m missing out on a better hot sauce altogether (Frank’s fans, where you at?) It’s all about #balance and #keepingthingsfresh.