Recipe Tips & Notes
Because of its strong flavor, sriracha should be used as a condiment. A dash of sauce here and there will surely make a difference and give your dish the exotic touch that it needs. When used as a sauce, it will dominate a dish like in sriracha flavored mayonnaise. It has been widely used as a condiment in a variety of Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants.
Adherence to Recommended Usage Levels: When used in food products, capsicum oleoresin should be added in accordance with recommended usage levels and guidelines provided by regulatory authorities and food safety agencies. Excessive use of any food additive, including capsicum oleoresin, may lead to potential health risks.
This is why sriracha is more of a chili paste than a sauce with its thick consistency. It has fewer notes of other flavors since it has fewer ingredients than hot sauces but it’s also why the spicy hot taste is more straightforward than hot sauces. This is also why the chill used is so important.
When you slice a bell pepper in half it will look exactly like any spicy chile pepper. There is a placenta covered with seeds, there are veins running along the flesh of the bell pepper. They are pretty much identical with the main exception being the difference in size. Bell peppers have a fruity scent, just like many hot chilies. Both have a crispness to their flesh and also high water content. You can slice, sauté, grill, char, pickle, stuff, or eat bell peppers just like you would any kind of spicy chilies. But when it comes to bell peppers you'll never have to wear gloves to protect your skin from a chili burn, and you'll never have to reach for a drink to calm the fiery heat after eating bell peppers.
When you’re making a dish where taste is more important than colour, hot sauce is a brilliant alternative to paprika. Just remember to choose one that fits in with your tastes or you may end up with something too hot or not hot enough.
Smoked paprika, often called pimenton, or smoked Spanish paprika is made from peppers that are smoked, dried over oak fires and then crushed into a fine, bright red powder. Bringing a deeper, richer, cooler flavour to the table. When it comes to heat, smoked paprika can be mild (pimentón dulce), medium (pimentón agridulce), or hot (pimentón picante).
Did you know? The vibrant red colour of paprika is because it contains high levels of carotene, the same pigment found most notably in, believe it or not, carrots.
Not only that, but it has a distinct heat and spicy taste that won't disappoint. It also adds a smoky flavor to your dishes that can help enhance the overall flavor and aroma of your final dish, marinade, and sauce.