The Great Sauce Shortage: From $5 to $70, the Popular Condiment Crisis Gripping the US”

Sriracha chili sauce is experiencing a shortage in the US, leading to a significant increase in prices. The shortage is due to a lack of chilis, which is hurting production and causing some shortages. The prices of Sriracha sauce have surged on eBay, reaching as high as $70, and even higher on Amazon, where one seller is offering a 2-pack for $124. At its peak, sales of the hot sauce brought in more than $150 million a year and represented nearly 10% of the hot sauce market in the US. The high prices are causing some consumers to stock up on the sauce, with some calling themselves “sriracha hoarders”.

However, others are unwilling to pay such high prices, with one consumer saying that spending $30 on a single 28-ounce bottle is not a long-term sustainable option for them. Huy Fong Foods, which makes the sauce, has apologized for the shortage and is working to avoid future shortages.

The shortage of Sriracha sauce in the US is caused by a lack of chili peppers, which is hurting production and causing some shortages. The scarcity of chili peppers is due to severe weather conditions affecting the quality of the chili pepper harvest, including a drought in Mexico last year. Huy Fong Foods, the maker of Sriracha sauce, has been dealing with a years-long shortage of the chilis, which is hurting production and causing some shortages. The shortage began in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and has been ongoing for the past three years. Huy Fong Foods has apologized for the shortage and is working to avoid future shortages.