There is a
classic episode of Seinfeld that
finds Jerry and George seated together in their beloved diner. George starts to
opine—as is his way—about how ketchup is no longer the most popular condiment
in America; it’s been replaced by salsa, he tells Jerry. “That’s because people
like to say sal-sa!” Jerry quips.
One wonders
how the two characters might reflect on 2015’s condiment scene, in which it
seems like neither ketchup nor salsa is the dominant add-on. Today, Sriracha
sauce is all the rage, particularly among foodies who like their meals to have
a bit of kick.
The
Rise and Fall of Sriracha
Sriracha has
been around since 1979 but has recently become more of a movement or a
lifestyle than a mere condiment. In fact, you can now find Sriracha-flavored everything—beers, pizzas, and more.
But as with
anything that becomes so successful so suddenly, there has been some backlash.
No less a luminary than Alton Brown—one of the most celebrated of all Food Network celebrities—has expressed
his annoyance with the ingredient’s new-found prominence, while many other
foodies have, similarly, opined that Sriracha is too trendy, too prevalent, too
much a flash in the pan.
Enough
is Enough, Some Chefs Say
The problem
Sriracha is facing points to a larger issue, though—the reality that more and
more Americans enjoy eating condiments as
much as they do, well, proper entrees. Whether your vice is Sriracha, salsa, or
good old-fashioned ketchup, a growing number of chefs are throwing up their
hands in dismay that their prized dishes have become little more than condiment
delivery vehicles.
That’s not to
say that there is anything wrong with condiments—within reason, of course. The
question is, when has your condiment affection officially gone too far?
Certainly,
when you’re using condiments for the wrong reasons, it points to a bigger
problem with your palette. According to one study, Sriracha is common among many men
not because of its taste, but because of its perception as a “manly” condiment.
Another sign
that your condiment use is out of control is that you’re not judicious in how
you use a particular condiment. Salsa is alright for chips or tacos, but when
you start making it into flavored beers—like they’ve done with Sriracha—that
could be an issue.
More than anything, though, you know your condiment use is skewed when you find yourself savoring the condiments over the flavor of real, substantive food--unless your favorite burger and beer joint has the most addictive ketchup, then I stand corrected.
More than anything, though, you know your condiment use is skewed when you find yourself savoring the condiments over the flavor of real, substantive food--unless your favorite burger and beer joint has the most addictive ketchup, then I stand corrected.
Bottom line:
Be careful not to become a condiment connoisseur; in doing so, you may be
depriving yourself of far greater culinary treats.
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