A History of Sriracha

Sriracha is a cultural mashup that typifies American cuisine: based on a Thai sauce, it was created by a Vietnamese immigrant of Chinese descent, and is made outside of LA with California-grown ingredients. In 20 years, it’s crossed over from a condiment for Pho to a mainstream American ingredient.

Historic Gatronomist Sarah Lohman has traveled to Sriracha’s California birthplace to see the factory and interview David Tran, the hot sauce’s genius creator. She’ll share with you the fascinating history of Sriracha as well exclusive interviews, primary source research, and a special peek into its artisanal production process. All your burning hot sauce questions will be answered as we explore how Sriracha has become more American than apple pie.

We’ll also demo how to make a Thai omelet!


Dubbed a “historic gastronomist,” Sarah Lohman recreates historic recipes as a way to make a personal connection with the past. She chronicles her explorations in culinary history on her blog, Four Pounds Flour, and her work has been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. She appears on the Cooking Channel’s Food: Fact or Fiction? and is 1/2 of the Masters of Social Gastronomy with co-founder Jonathan Soma.

Currently, she works with museums and galleries around the city to create public programs focused on food, including institutions such as The American Museum of Natural History, The Museum of Science, Boston, and The Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Her first book, Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine, was published with Simon & Schuster in 2016.











When: Tue., Feb. 13, 2018 at 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Prospect Heights Brainery
190 Underhill Ave., Prospect Heights

Price: $12
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Sriracha is a cultural mashup that typifies American cuisine: based on a Thai sauce, it was created by a Vietnamese immigrant of Chinese descent, and is made outside of LA with California-grown ingredients. In 20 years, it’s crossed over from a condiment for Pho to a mainstream American ingredient.

Historic Gatronomist Sarah Lohman has traveled to Sriracha’s California birthplace to see the factory and interview David Tran, the hot sauce’s genius creator. She’ll share with you the fascinating history of Sriracha as well exclusive interviews, primary source research, and a special peek into its artisanal production process. All your burning hot sauce questions will be answered as we explore how Sriracha has become more American than apple pie.

We’ll also demo how to make a Thai omelet!


Dubbed a “historic gastronomist,” Sarah Lohman recreates historic recipes as a way to make a personal connection with the past. She chronicles her explorations in culinary history on her blog, Four Pounds Flour, and her work has been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. She appears on the Cooking Channel’s Food: Fact or Fiction? and is 1/2 of the Masters of Social Gastronomy with co-founder Jonathan Soma.

Currently, she works with museums and galleries around the city to create public programs focused on food, including institutions such as The American Museum of Natural History, The Museum of Science, Boston, and The Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Her first book, Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine, was published with Simon & Schuster in 2016.

Buy tickets/get more info now