Huy Fong Foods was founded by David Tran in 1980, moved to Rosemead, CA in 1986, and just 2 years ago moved to its new home in Irwindale, CA.
The company is named for a 400′ Taiwanese-owned Panama registered freighter, Huey Fong, that carried the founder, David Tran, and 3,317 other refugees out of Vietnam in December 1978. The rooster symbol that is a part of the Sriracha branding comes from the fact that Tran was born in the Year of the Rooster on the Chinese zodiac.
The company’s most popular product is its sriracha sauce. It was originally made with Serrano peppers and is now made with red Jalapeño peppers, reducing the overall pungency. It is currently Huy Fong Foods’ best-known and best-selling item, easily recognized by its bright red color and its packaging: a clear plastic bottle with a green cap, text in five languages (Vietnamese, English, Chinese, French, and Spanish) and the rooster logo.