Summer may be heating up, but many restaurants and at-home chefs are struggling to bring the heat in the kitchen due to an ongoing Sriracha shortage.
Pandemic-era supply chain shortages proved that people will go to extreme lengths ― like hoarding and paying exorbitant prices ― to score their favorite products when supplies are limited. And according to the Los Angeles Times, that's exactly what some hot sauce lovers are doing.
The publication recently reported that a single 28-ounce bottle of Sriracha was selling for $29.99 at a local Asian grocery store and limited to two bottles per customer.
Huy Fong Foods, one of the largest producers of Asian hot sauce, is in particular demand, and another local store said the company's product consistently sells out when they get a shipment.
News of the shortage first broke last summer when Huy Fong Foods announced that less-than-favorable weather conditions had resulted in a dwindling chili pepper supply. A year later, times still appear to be tough for the supplier.
According to the Times, some Sriracha fans have begun taking bottles from local restaurants, and one dining hot spot who had 300 bottles as of a year ago is now down to 100 due to the dwindling supply.
The laws of supply and demand are definitely in play here, and online sellers are cashing in with black market-like prices. One eBay user is currently selling a 28-ounce bottle of the brand's Sriracha for $69.99. A two-pack of 17-ounce Sriracha bottles is also selling on Amazon for $123.28.
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What's causing the Sriracha shortage?
In April 2022, Huy Fong Foods explained the shortage in a letter sent to wholesale buyers, blaming the chili pepper supply chain issues on troublesome weather. At the time, three particular flavors were at risk of being in short supply ― Chili Garlic, Sambal Oelek and Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce.
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“Currently, due to weather conditions affecting the quality of chili peppers, we now face a more severe shortage of chili,” the letter read. “Unfortunately, this is out of our control, and without this essential ingredient we are unable to produce any of our products.”
The brand obtains its chili peppers from Mexico, and extreme drought conditions have affected the quality and amount of crops produced.
TODAY.com reached out to Huy Fong Foods for comment and learned that "limited production" recently resumed.
"However, we continue to have a limited supply that continues to affect product availability," a spokesperson shared in a statement. Unfortunately, we are still experiencing a shortage of raw material."
Fans of the brand will be disappointed to hear that it is unable to estimate when supplies will increase.
"Because we do not sell directly to retail/market levels, we cannot determine when the product will hit shelves again and/or who currently has the product in stock," the spokesperson shared.
The company also added a message of thanks to their loyal customers:
"We are grateful for your continued patience and understanding during this unprecedented inventory shortage. We are currently working on trying to avoid future shortages."
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