Sriracha

Filmmaker Griffin Hammond's fun and lively documentary looks at the origins of the wildly popular titular hot sauce that fans will put on almost every type of food. Named for a coastal town in Thailand, where a number of manufacturers bottle their own sriracha products, the condiment—which is derived from red jalapeno peppers—is best known in the U.S. from the green-capped bottles produced by Huy Fong Foods. Company owner David Tran, an ethnic Chinese man driven out of his native Vietnam after the fall of Saigon, made his way to America and ultimately survived by making sriracha sauce in small quantities for home delivery. Now, Tran's company fills 70,000 bottles a day and he wonders where they all go. Featuring interviews with the low-key Tran, his jalapeno supplier, and a number of sriracha fans, this entertaining film will appeal to foodies. Recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)