Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Salsa

When it comes to salsa, there are many of us whose salsa expertise begins and ends with the big brands that you will find in any grocery store across the US. These salsas are mostly tomato-based and tend to be relatively mild in terms of heat; while these salsas can be quite good, there are many other salsas to experience. It is true that you will find plenty of mild tomato salsa in Mexico as well, but Mexican salsas offer so much variety that it would be a shame not to explore further. You can even make your own salsas at home with ease!

Salsa has become very popular in the past few decades, finally eclipsing even ketchup as the best selling condiment in the US. Of course, most of this salsa is the mild grocery store salsas we spoke of earlier; but you should definitely branch out and discover some new favorites as well. Many Mexican salsa recipes call for a little more heat than you may be accustomed to, but there is a salsa for everyone from the chili lover to those who cannot take much in the way of spice. Of course, when you make your own salsa, you can adjust the heat level to your own tastes.

Salsa is the Spanish word for “sauce” and while it conjures a certain type of sauce to our minds, the word is used to refer to all manner of different condiments seen at the table in Mexico and increasingly, the US as well. There are salsa recipes, which are made from many different ingredients.

There are the familiar red-colored tomato based sauces with jalapenos and other chili peppers and herbs, green salsas made from tomatillos; and for those who want something with a little more kick, even green salsas made mostly from hot peppers rather than tomatoes! Some salsas are based on other ingredients such as ground pumpkin seeds or ground dried peppers like pasilla and guajillo peppers.

For those looking for Mexican recipes like a milder Mexican salsa recipe, which offer something, a little bit different, a fruit salsa may be in order. Peach salsas are especially popular, with the sweetness and tartness of the peaches and tomatoes complimenting each other perfectly.

If you would like to make your own fruit salsas, you can experiment with different fruits to come up with your own one of a kind fruit salsa recipe. Mangoes are another very popular fruit for this purpose.

One especially good and very easy salsa recipe to make at home is pico de gallo, or “rooster’s beak” in Spanish. It is a salsa you may have had before at a Mexican restaurant and if so, it is easy to make your own at home which is every bit as good! It goes wonderfully with tortilla chips and nearly any Mexican recipe you can think of. It’s as simple as mixing together some diced tomato, onion, jalapeno and chopped cilantro, perhaps with a little fresh lime juice to give it a pleasant zing.

Unfortunately, we do not have nearly enough time to tell you about all of the many variations on Mexican salsas which you could try at home. These ideas can get you off to a good start; with a little research and a little experimentation in your kitchen, you are sure to come up with some of your very own salsa recipes, which can add a little variety; and a little spice to your own Mexican creations.

One of the most misunderstood Mexican foods has to be tacos. The prefab U-shaped taco shells served in Mexican fast food restaurants bear little resemblance to authentic Mexican tacos. You can also make your own fish, meat, chicken or vegetarian tacos at home and homemade tacos will definitely delight your family.