Sriracha is a cultural mashup that typifies American cuisine: based on a Thai sauce, it was created by a Vietnamese immigrant of Chinese descent, and is made outside of LA with California-grown ingredients. In 20 years, it’s crossed over from a condiment for Pho to a mainstream American ingredient.

Historic Gatronomist Sarah Lohman has traveled to Sriracha’s California birthplace to see the factory and interview David Tran, the hot sauce’s genius creator.

At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22, She’ll share with you the fascinating history of Sriracha as well exclusive interviews, primary source research, and a special peek into its artisanal production process.

All your burning hot sauce questions will be answered as we explore how Sriracha has become more American than apple pie.

About the presenter

Sarah Lohman graduated with a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2005 and for her undergraduate thesis opened a temporary restaurant/installation that reinterpreted food of the Colonial era for a modern audience.

Lohman moved to New York in 2006 to work as Video Producer for New York Magazine’s food blog, Grub Street.  Currently, she works with museums and galleries around the city to create public programs focused on food.

Dubbed an “historic gastronomist,” Lohman recreates historic recipes as a way to make a personal connection with the past. She chronicles her explorations in culinary history on her blog, FourPoundsFlour.com, and her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and NPR.

She appeared in NYC-TV’s mini-series Appetite Citycooking culinary treats from New York’s past and is featured in The Cooking Channel’s Food: Fact or Fiction. Lohman’s first book, Eight Flavors, is due out with Simon & Schuster in Fall 2016.

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— an announcement from Darien Library