Which Thai town gave Sriracha sauce its name?

Sriracha sauce takes its name from Si Racha, a town in Thailand’s Chonburi Province.

Si Racha is a coastal town and district on Thailand’s eastern seaboard. The sauce name is an English-style rendering of the Thai place-name, commonly written Sriracha or Sri Racha. In Thailand, the condiment is often called sot Si Racha or nam phrik Si Racha and is traditionally served with seafood, omelets, and other foods.

The sauce’s history is more complicated than the globally familiar bottle suggests. Thai versions existed before the American product associated with the rooster logo, and Sriraja Panich is often identified as an early Thai commercial brand. Accounts commonly connect its development in Si Racha during the 1930s with local producer Thanom Chakkapak.

The town name is sometimes confused with Pattaya or other famous Thai destinations, but Pattaya did not give the sauce its name. Modern “sriracha” is also a genericized term covering several related chili sauces, not one single universal recipe.