Salsa

Salsa (Spanish salsa — simply “sauce”) is a fresh, bright sauce of Mexican and Latin American cuisine, in its classic form made of finely chopped raw tomatoes, onion, hot chilli, coriander, and lime juice. Although in Spanish the word means any sauce, in the world “salsa” is understood as precisely this refreshing tomato relish.

The most famous is salsa fresca (or pico de gallo), in which all the ingredients stay raw and finely chopped, so the sauce comes out crunchy, juicy, and exceptionally fresh. Its flavour is a play of contrasts: the sweetness of tomatoes, the heat of chilli, the sharpness of onion, the tang of lime, and the aroma of coriander. There are also many other variations: salsa verde of green tomatillos, salsa roja of roasted or boiled tomatoes and peppers, fruit salsas (with mango, pineapple), and the spicy salsa picante. Salsa is served as a starter with tortilla chips, and also with tacos, burritos, quesadillas, fried meat, fish, and eggs. Salsa is an inseparable, colourful part of the Mexican table and one of the most popular sauces in the world.