Taco Bell, the giant Tex-Mex food chain, is testing a new menu platform that's hotter than hot, and it pays homage to a small town in thailand.
About 70 restaurants in the Kansas City market have begun testing Sriracha, the wildly-popular hot sauce - in everything from tacos to nachos. If the test is a hit, the chain is expected to more widely roll-out the Sriracha platform, which is made with the paste of chili peppers and has its origins in Thailand, where it was first made in the Eastern Seaboard town of the same name 80 years ago.
For Taco Bell, it's all about appealing to its core of 18- to 34-year-old men - many of whom take pleasure is demonstrating to peers just how much "heat" they can swallow. The Specialty Food Association has projected that Sriracha will be one of the top five food trends of 2015.
"Our customers love spicy food and we know that Sriracha is on the top of their list as the latest, most relevant flavor," said Stephanie Perdue, Taco Bell's vice president of marketing, in a statement.
Way back in November of 2013, Subway ranked among the first, major fast food chains to pay attention to Sriracha when it added a creamy Sriracha sauce to two, new sandwiches. A year earlier, Mintel, the research specialist, tracked Sriracha as an ingredient on 47 restaurant chain menus.
Also, last year, PF Chang's and Pei Wei added Sriracha dishes. Lay's put it on a potato chip. And Trader Joe's even rolled out its own bottled version.
Among the items Taco Bell is testing:
- Sriracha Beef Griller: A Loaded Griller with Sriracha ground beef, Sriracha Crema sauce, nacho cheese sauce and crispy red strips.
- Sriracha Taco: A Crunchy Taco with Sriracha ground beef, Sriracha Crema sauce, cheddar cheese and lettuce.
- Sriracha Taco Supreme: A Crunchy Taco Supreme with Sriracha ground beef, Sriracha Crema sauce, sour cream, cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.
- Sriracha Quesarito: A Quesarito with Sriracha ground beef, rice, sour cream, wrapped up in a grilled quesadilla with melted cheeses and Sriracha Crema sauce.
- Sriracha Nachos: A Nachos Supreme filled with a platter of tortilla chips and topped with Sriracha ground beef, Sriracha Crema sauce, nacho cheese sauce, tomatoes, beans and sour cream.
And, yes, there's ever a breakfast version:
- Sriracha Grande Scrambler (on the breakfast menu): A Grande Scrambler with scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, Sriracha Crema sauce, nacho cheese sauce, bacon, and topped with pico de gallo, sour cream and cheddar cheese. Also available with steak or sausage.