Yes we have no Sriracha

Long story short: No más till September.

From the Guardian:

Sriracha lovers burned as maker halts production due to pepper shortage

 

California-based Huy Fong Inc says the shortage is due to drought affecting its peppers — will it lead to battles in condiment aisles?

 

A looming Sriracha shortage has hot sauce lovers feeling fiery, after the maker of the popular condiment said it was suspending sales over the summer due to a shortage of chili peppers.

Southern California-based Huy Fong Inc. confirmed that its beloved products, including Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, Chili Garlic, and Sambal Oelek, would be affected, according to Bloomberg.

In an April email to customers, the company described the pepper shortage as "severe" and related to the climate. The company sources its peppers from various farms in California, New Mexico, and Mexico, and said that weather conditions were affecting the quality of the peppers and deepening the chili pepper shortage.

The company email said all orders submitted after April 19 would be fulfilled after Labor Day.

"Unfortunately, this is out of our control and without this essential ingredient we are unable to produce any of our products," the company said.

"We understand this may cause issues. However, during this time we will not accept any new orders to be placed before September as we will not have enough inventory to fulfill your order," the company added.

Hot temperatures and a historic drought across the U.S. west have been taking a heavy toll on California's agriculture. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported that the whole state was in "severe drought" as of last week, with the Central Valley facing "extreme drought" conditions.

The news has left Sriracha fans burned, with some on Twitter calling it a "sign of the apocalypse" and others suggesting that Sriracha hoarding was about to begin.

Those who prefer the view from this side of the pond may want to peruse how the Washington Post and New York Times covered the story.

FunFact: According to the Times, Huy Fong Foods "... goes through 100 million pounds of chilis each year...."

That's 50,000 tons.