Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Tour The Sriracha Factory During The Kick-Off Of Pepper-Grinding Season

Now that the fiery battle between Sriracha and the City of Irwindale (over whether the hot-sauce maker should keep its factory in the area) is over, we can all breathe a sigh of relief—and tour the complex!
Huy Fong Foods, the folks behind the popular rooster sauce, has been offering factory tours since February, but come August, the tours will be a lot more exciting because it's the start of pepper grinding season. (You know you want to watch the epic crushing of the red chili peppers.) They'll be having a special open house on August 22 and 23, where fans can check out the whole Sriracha-making process from start to finish, and even get to grub on a Sriracha-themed appetizer sampling. The first 200 guests each day will also receive some free schwag.
In addition, Huy Fong Foods just added two new shiny buses (well, golf carts that hold 14 seats each) to the tour, and The Rooster Room which will sell cock sauce-related merchandise, according to the Pasadena Star-News.
And just some extra little nuggets of info for you: the pepper grinding season lasts 16 weeks, and the peppers are grown from by Underwood Ranches in Kern and Ventura counties.
You can RSVP for the August 22 and 23 tours here. Also, you can call 626-286-8328 to schedule a tour.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?