A Review of Rooster Sauce - a Condiment that Really Burns

Condiments are part of our eating style. No matter what meals you prepare, or whatever ethnic restaurants you regularly visit, there will always be a condiment or two that you have took a personal liking to, and thus use in a rabid manner when adorning your meals. I, myself, am one of those people. And I feel it is my civic duty to bring to popular recognition the wonderful condiment that is "rooster sauce". Duly named rooster sauce because of the endearing picture of a rooster on the front of the bottle, the most famous brand of rooster sauce is Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, or in it's Vietnamese pronunciation, Tuong Ot Sriracha.

Now what makes this condiment so fabulously select and different from the other more mainstream condiments out there? Well, let's look at the back of the bottle where it claims that "Sriracha, made from sun ripened chiles, is ready to use in soups, sauces, pasta, pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, chow mein, or on anything to make a delicious, spicy taste." Now, most of everyone out there nowadays are resistant to such blatant advertising, often held known to be true that whatever a product advertises is usually not what you'll get (fast food commercials, anybody?). But with rooster sauce, I have to admit that it does what it says.

Put it on hamburgers, put it on your noodles, put it on rice, put it even on a baked potato. It will definitely add a spicy and sweet kick to it. Sandwiches are the holy grail for rooster sauce. Smear a layer of rooster sauce on top of your sandwich meat, and you will experience a bold flavor never before tasted! Not too overly spicy, but with a distinguishable tanginess that will leave you craving for more. Any meal can be virtually enhanced with just a slight presence of rooster sauce. It's no understatement when almost every Vietnamese family in the world uses it as a meal condiment, ingredient, or marinade. So why is it still so unpopular and practically unheard of in the cooking community?

Well, it's not anymore. A few years ago, rooster sauce was known primarily only to the Asian community, and a few of us shamelessly hoarded our secret condiment, hoarded it so close to ourselves like it was worth its weight in gold. But after the boom of Asian cuisine, a few people began to spread the word about a few fantastic Asian dishes, and soon people were dining at Asian establishments for a new taste experience. And sooner or later, they came across rooster sauce. How far did that discovery boost rooster sauce's popularity? Well, next time you go to a Safeway or Costco, go check out your condiments section, perhaps look in the Asian aisle, and you will be pleasantly shocked to discover most likely a full row dedicated to rooster sauce. Neat, huh?

Rooster sauce could possibly be addictive. As with all spicy foods and condiments, it can cause stomach aches and bowel irritation. Countless hours I've spent in a bathroom lamenting over my zealous use of rooster sauce on every meal I consumed. Countless times have I swore never to use it again. And countless times I have broken that oath to succumb to my taste bud's desires to experience the taste of rooster sauce. Sounds silly, but I dare you to go out and buy a bottle of rooster sauce. And next time you eat your morning eggs, smear a little bit over them, and tell me that you seriously didn't consider changing your egg condiment routine from ketchup to rooster sauce. I won't blame you.

Best of all, a large bottle of rooster sauce can be bought at most Oriental supermarkets for only $1-2. With a intake of 5 calories per teaspoon, this is a condiment you can afford to slather all over your food.