If you have been to a house party in the past few decades, then you are probably well aware of the proliferation of classic mild salsa dip. If you are looking for recipes using salsa, southwestern salsa recipes, pico de gallo salsa dips, or salsa nutrition, here are a few facts you should know about the hugely popular dip.
The word salsa entered the English language from the Spanish word salsa for sauce. This in turn was originally derived from the Latin salsa or salty, and from sal or salt. Mexican salsas were traditionally produced using the mortar and pestle like molcajete, although blenders are now more commonly used. The Mayans made salsa also, using a mortar and pestle.
Most jarred, canned, and bottled salsa and picante sauces sold in the United States in grocery stores are forms of salsa cruda or pico de gallo, and typically have a kind of liquid texture. Some have added vinegar, and some use pickled peppers instead of fresh ones to give them a bit of a kick. Tomatoes are strongly acidic by nature, which, along with the heat processing, is enough to stabilize the product for grocery distribution.
Because of the fact that salsa has been around for centuries, there are quite a few ways to prepare it. Salsa roja, or red sauce, is used as a condiment in Mexican and Southwestern United States cuisines. This kind of salsa usually includes cooked tomatoes, chili peppers, onion, garlic, and fresh cilantro. Pico de gallo salsa dips, which get their name for the spanish for rooster’s beak, is also known as salsa fresca or fresh sauce salsa picada is made with raw tomatoes, lime juice, chili peppers, onions, cilantro leaves, and other coarsely chopped raw ingredients. Salsa verde, or green sauce, in Mexican versions, is made with tomatillos which are generally cooked. The Italian version is made with herbs in order to give the dip its green color. Guacamole is thicker than a sauce and generally used as a dip. It refers more broadly to any sauce where the main ingredient is avocado. Corn salsa is a chunky salsa made with sweetcorn and other ingredients such as onions, and chiles of various kinds. This particular version of salsa was made popular by the burrito chains for burritos, tacos, and quesadillas. Find out more here: Sabra.com