Can condiments, by this point in our ever-complicating foodie history, be considered within their own distinct cuisine classification? Are they, in short, a new food group unto themselves?
Not quite, but the amount of buzz and fandom love that everything from hot sauces to salad dressings get suggests that condiments are, for many people, their very favorite food.
And we didn't even introduce the always lively topic of Sriracha yet.
Further proof of the pop culture rise of stuff we squirt on other stuff: A new condiment-focused art show at the Chinese American Museum. Make that Los Angeles condiment-focused, because, of course, some of the world's most famous and flavorful sauces and spreads hail from Southern California.
Okay, Sriracha, you're up to bat first. The green-tipped, red-bottled Rooster sauce is pretty much now the stuff of legend, and artists in the show take it on, imagining Sriracha-inspired fire extinguishers and sculptures.
Where can we get a Sriracha sculpture for our own front entrance? Because if we can look upon Sriracha art after arriving home after a long day, well, the smiles would be instantaneous.
The other condiment feted is Tapatio. Paintings and other works pay tribute to the fiery condiment, which hails in Vernon.
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So, are you more a Tapationian or a Srirachast? Or can you be loyal to both? Of course. Sometimes the two California-born condiments pair well, even within the same dish.
LA Heat: Taste Changing Condiments runs at the Olvera-adjacent museum through July 12.
