4 ms·
Huy Fong, the “rooster brand” and a family owned company in LA that was sort of an immigrant success story, made a deal with Underwood Farms (also around LA and
by wayfinder 3y ago
Huy Fong, the “rooster brand” and a family owned company in LA that was sort of an immigrant success story, made a deal with Underwood Farms (also around LA and of which Huy Fong worked with personally since the start of Huy Fong) to buy peppers to help them purchase/lease new land but then reneged on the deal and sent undercover executives to Underwood to steal their methods of production. Underwood sued and won and Huy Fong was forced to purchase peppers from other suppliers, most of which seem to be having problems supplying peppers.
Sriracha is not a brand but rather a type of regional sauce, of which Huy Fong’s version was not completely true to recipe (but still tasted great IMO), and so that’s why you see other brands creating a “sriracha” sauce. Huy Fong’s version is sweeter than the OG but I’ve noticed some other brands are even sweeter (like Trader Joe’s if I recall).
Incidentally, Underwood Farms started producing their own sriracha sauce.
- brink 3y agoIt's a shame to see such bad behavior coming from what I thought was a good brand.
- jeron 3y agoCorporate espionage is just part of business
- rfrey 3y agoIn the same way that infidelity is just part of marriage. It exists, but it's certainly not inevitable.
- cm2012 3y agoThat kind of betrayal is not standard business, it will absolutely destroy your long term rep.
- mistercheph 3y agoIt's not betrayal, it's just due diligence
- generalizations 3y agoBTW, can confirm the Underwood Farms siracha sauce is a very decent replacement for the rooster brand.
- somehnguy 3y agoThanks for the recommendation. I’ve been looking for a replacement since Huy Fong has been impossible to buy for quite a while now. I tried a few and had recently given up after throwing away a full bottle of ‘Sky Valley’ brand - which had a strange fishy undertone that grossed me out.
- bloopernova 3y agoMy wife really likes the Underwood Ranches Sriracha, plus they sell other tasty spicy sauces. Highly recommended! https://underwoodranches.com/ https://underwoodranches.com/ I personally prefer this Thai Sriracha: Sriraja Panich, https://a.co/d/bbGQ3p2 https://a.co/d/bbGQ3p2
- atentaten 3y agoInteresting... I thought the Sriracha guy has scruples after watching a documentary about him and is company. Do you have any links that refer to this unsavory sriracha behavior?
- wayfinder 3y agoThe most detail: https://casetext.com/case/huy-fong-foods-inc-v-underwood-ranches-lp https://casetext.com/case/huy-fong-foods-inc-v-underwood-ran... Collaborating: https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-sriracha-lawsuit-underwood-ranches-20190712-story.html https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-sriracha-lawsui...
- phil21 3y ago> Incidentally, Underwood Farms started producing their own sriracha sauce. Which is pretty much the only brand I buy now since I found it. It actually tastes like what I remember "Rooster Sauce" tasting like 20-25 years ago when I was first introduced to it at some hole-in-the-wall chinese takeout joint. The Huy Fong stuff these days just does not taste the same as it used to. I actually found the above information OP posts about after 2 or 3 bottles just tasting "off" and wondering if there was a bad batch or an off year happening or something. It's quite noticeable to me.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- AdmiralAsshat 3y ago> Huy Fong, the “rooster brand” and a family owned company in LA that was sort of an immigrant success story, made a deal with Underwood Farms (also around LA and of which Huy Fong worked with personally since the start of Huy Fong) to buy peppers to help them purchase/lease new land but then reneged on the deal and sent undercover executives to Underwood to steal their methods of production. And on that day, they truly became an "American" company.