There may be a bit of a global shortage of sriracha hot sauce, but you can still find some in Coquitlam if you shop around.
At least, that's what hot sauce enthusiasts who post on Coquitlam Reddit are finding after someone wrote they had trouble finding the spicy condiment.
"I know that there is a sriracha shortage going on but has anyone been able to find any?," wrote a recent post by u/snuffles00.
The Reddit poster said they had checked a number of stores but hadn't been able to find any.
"Any tips would be appreciated. I'm down to a couple of tablespoons and I would love to find some."
To help fulfill this person's heat cravings, other users provided many suggestions.
Some sympathetic hot sauce lovers said they managed to find sriracha sauce in different stores.
But some travelled outside of the Tri-Cities to find it.
For example, Basilico Food in Lonsdale Quay Market was one suggestion while Trader Joe's in Bellingham was another.
Five bottles at Superstore
The Tri-City News visited Real Canadian Superstore at 1301 Lougheed Hwy. on Tuesday (March 21) and found five bottles of Lee Kum Kee Sriracha Chili Sauce in 445 ml sizes.
However, the store was out of Uni Eagle Sriracha Sauce and Huy Fong Sriracha Sauce.
Superstore was out of Huy Fong sambal olek as well, which is considered a substitute.
T&T Market in Coquitlam reportedly has sriracha sauce, including a house brand version, on its website.
Substitutions at Superstore and T & T
Canadian retailer Loblaw Companies Ltd., which owns both Superstore and T&T, confirmed the shortage of one brand of sriracha sauce in an email today Wednesday (March 22).
The public relations spokesperson stated that its stores are currently experiencing a supply issue with one brand of sriracha due to a "specific ingredient shortage."
"We are actively working with our vendor partners to manage the flow of goods, and have added additional sriracha products to ensure our shelves are stocked," the spokesperson further stated.
The sriracha shortage has been reported in the news for several months.
A pepper crop failure due to a drought is reportedly behind the shortage.
One of the most popular brands is Huy Fong. It features a rooster on the plastic bottle, and news outlets reported a delay in production due to the pepper shortage.
However, adding to the company's woes is a lawsuit.
According to Bloomberg Law, Huy Fong lost an appeal and must pay more than $23 million in damages to a jalapeno pepper farmer.
What's sriracha sauce?
Sriracha sauce is typically a paste made of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt, and possibly other spices.
The Lee Kum Kee brand is made of red chili peppers and fish sauce, according to the company website.
According to an NPR article, the sauce is originally Thai, made in the town of of Si Racha,
However, it was popularized by Vietnamese-American immigrant David Tran who created the Huy Fong brand.
