SRIRACHUP

What do you get when you combine two very familiar condiments; Ketchup & Sriracha. Sosu, Srirachup is the brainchild of former software salesperson Lisa Murphy. Fresno chile’s and red jalapenos are fermented for two weeks. They are added to local organic, ‘Early Girl’ tomatoes from Frog Hollow farm. In fact two pounds for every jar go into this unique and fun sauce. We met with Lisa who is very excited to bring her new product to the markets. We will sample Srirachup on a sausage roll and use it in a dish using Tofu. Yes, this Mad Meat Genius will be cooking with Tofu. (The dish has pork also). Let’s all give Srirachup a try.

Ingredients:

Organic California tomatoes, chili peppers, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, sea salt and garlic are the listed ingredients. Do you like this list of ingredients? We do. We noticed the absence of binders, chemicals and preservatives which are present in everyday ketchups.

Aroma & Texture:

Do you have a garden with tomatoes growing in the summer?  When I opened the top I smelled fresh home grown tomatoes. This is a pleasant and comforting smell that is unique to freshly picked tomatoes. This is a very thick sauce as ketchup and Sriracha should be.

Label:

I discussed the label with Lisa. In my opinion it is very plain and could use some sprucing up. The label states some very good selling points. (No paste, organic, no fructose corn syrup, gluten free, non GMO, and no preservatives.) Unless you have great eyesight and read labels this will be lost for the average shopper. I would walk by this product on the shelf.

Taste:

Bold fresh tomato flavor, summertime in a jar and a slight pepper finish is our impression.  There is sweetness from the tomatoes and brown sugar that it is not overpowering. The pepper finish is mild in heat but bold in flavor. Is this a marriage made in condiment heaven? I cannot wait to try it with some food.

Heat:

The pepper flavor is present minus the heat. This is very mild and will barely lift the heat meter to 1 star out of 5

Food:

The obvious choice of food pairing to me is the hot dog. Our dog is a Lockeford sausage on a fresh roll from ‘Acme Bakery’. This was a hot diggity delight. Pure fresh tomato flavor with natural sweetness and a pepper finish paired with the sausage creating familiar and comforting flavors.

This dish made with Tofu will be uncharted territory for this meat lover. The recipe comes from Lisa and will showcase the Srirachup.

Mapo Tofu with Srirachup (Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
½ lb of ground pork
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp sesame oil
9 oz or 1 jar of Srirachup
1 lb of soft to medium-firm tofu
1 stalk of scallions to top off
½ cup of peas
1 tbsp of soy sauce
¼ cup of tomato water or chicken broth or vegetable broth

Method:
1. Heat sesame oil in wok or non-stick pan. Add diced garlic and brown it in sesame oil over medium heat.
2. Add ground pork and ½ jar of Srirachup and cook the ground pork in medium heat while breaking the pork into small segments.
3. Dice the tofu into ½ inch to 1-inch cubes. Cook the ground pork half way and add diced tofu. Add the rest of Srirachup, soy sauce, and tomato water or chicken stock, or vegetable stock.
4. Bring to medium-high heat and let it simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
5. Add peas (can also use frozen peas, just blanch it in hot water for 5-10 secs and shock in cold water)
6. Remove from heat. Plate in a bowl or plate and top off with scallions.

We followed the directions and served this over rice. This was an easy dish to assemble. It tasted fresh and vibrant with tomato flavor. The Srirachup imparted this intense tomato flavor with out a long simmering time that would be needed with fresh tomatoes. I liked this dish except for the Tofu. I just do not get it. (Tofu)

Overall

Srirachup is an adult condiment that showcases pure tomato essence and pepper love. This is a sophisticated, nuanced, unique sauce. The backyard wienie roast will never be the same. Local organic, seasonal ingredients are used. This sauce has ¼ the amount of sugar than everyday ketchup but still is perfectly vine ripe sweet. Lisa Murphy of ‘Sosu’ has created a sauce that is familiar but also unique. We have enjoyed our tasting journey today. I am still not a Tofu fan but Srirachup will be a staple condiment on our shelf.

Sosu
Available in local Bay Area stores
info@sosusauces.com

http://sosusauces.com/