Sriracha sauce, once an obscure chile, sugar and garlic paste from a Thai fishing village, is now the 800-pound fire-breathing gorilla of condiments. Ubiquitous in Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese eateries, it's elbowing aside salsas in some taco stands and is forging inroads into Italian trattorias.

Another fiery import, harissa, is also breaking out of its original ethnic enclave and entering the wider culinary world. In Southern California, this North African mix of chiles, garlic and o ...

( Back to Article )