Sriracha Shut Down Halted By Judge — For Now

UPDATE: Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert O'Brien has denied the city of Irwindale's request for a temporary restraining order. For now, Huy Fong Foods Inc. will continue to produce Sriracha as usual. However, representatives for both parties will return to court on November 22 to address the residents' case. Hang on to your hot sauce.

Say it ain't so. The Associate Press reports that Huy Fong Foods, maker of the essential hot sauce Sriracha, has been hit with a lawsuit by the city of Irwindale, California. City officials say that the chili odor from the SoCal-based plant is so strong that it's a public nuisance, causing "burning eyes, irritated throats, and headaches." Some families have even felt compelled to move. The AP reports that Huy Fong initially cooperated with the city, but then denied that the smell emanating from its factory was a problem. The lawsuit would temporarily shutter the factory, soon leaving millions without any way to properly season their pho and pork buns. Don't even talk about those other knockoffs.

The company was founded 33 years ago by a Vietnamese immigrant named David Tran, who was looking for a way to bring the flavors of traditional sriracha hot sauce he knew and loved to the Southeast Asian community in Los Angeles. From there, of course, it became one of the more popular condiments in the world. According to a recent article by Quartz, the media-shy Tran apparently doesn't care about profits, despite the fact that his company sold 20 million bottles of hot sauce and reaped about $60 million last year alone. His motive, he told Quartz, is simply "to make enough fresh chili sauce so that everyone who wants Huy Fong can have it. Nothing more." And, really, isn't that what we all want? (CBC News)