WASHINGTON – It might be the world’s favorite new condiment.
Sriracha hot sauce is hot as a trend, but not overwhelmingly hot to mouths.
Enthusiasts tout Sriracha sauce as having heat with flavor, saying it’s not too tangy or too sweet but has just the right amount of spice.
The American Chemical Society evaluates Sriracha on the Scoville Scale, which measures the hotness of a chili pepper, finding the sauce is hotter than Texas Pete but not has hot as Tabasco Sauce.
The perceived heat of some chili sauces can vary depending on specific batches of chili peppers grown and harvested. The American Chemical Society finds on the Scoville Scale:
- Sriracha ranges between 1,000-2,500.
- Tabasco Sauce between 2,500-5,000.
- Habanero peppers 350,000 – 577,000.
- Texas Pete Hot Sauce is reliably 750 on the Scoville Scale.
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