This is why sriracha is more of a chili paste than a sauce with its thick consistency. It has fewer notes of other flavors since it has fewer ingredients than hot sauces but it’s also why the spicy hot taste is more straightforward than hot sauces. This is also why the chill used is so important.

If you are using a recipe that calls for powdered chili peppers of this kind, you can usually use cayenne pepper substitute without significantly changing the taste of the dish.