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Salsa may refer to any type of sauce. In American English, it usually refers to
the spicy, often tomato based, hot sauces typical of Hispanic cuisine,
particularly those used as dips. In British English, the word typically refers
to salsa cruda, which is common in Mexican, Spanish and Italian cuisine. |
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Left: Some fresh pico de gallo salsa. |
The word salsa is derived from the Latin salsa ("salty"), from
sal ("salt").
Saline and salad are related words.
Mexican salsas were traditionally produced using the mortar and pestle-like
molcajete, although blenders are now more commonly used. Well-known salsas
include:
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Salsa roja, "red sauce": used as a condiment in Mexican and Southwestern
cuisine, and usually made with cooked tomatoes, chili peppers, onion, garlic,
and fresh cilantro.
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Salsa cruda ("raw sauce"), also known as
pico de gallo ("rooster's beak"), salsa
picada ("chopped sauce"), salsa mexicana ("Mexican sauce"), or
salsa fresca
("fresh sauce"), "salsa bandera" ("flag sauce", in allusion to the Mexican
flag): made with raw tomatoes, lime juice, chilli peppers, onions, cilantro
leaves, and other coarsely chopped raw ingredients.
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Salsa verde, "green sauce": Mexican version made with tomatillos. Sauces made
with tomatillos are usually cooked. Italian version made with herbs.
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Salsa negra, "black sauce": a Mexican sauce made from dried chilis, oil, and
garlic.
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Salsa taquera, "Taco sauce": Made with tomatillos and morita chili.
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Salsa ranchera, "ranch-style sauce": made with tomatoes, various chilies, and
spices. Typically served warm, it possesses a thick, soupy quality. Though it
contains none, it imparts a characteristic flavor reminiscent of black pepper.
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Salsa brava, "wild sauce": a mildly spicy sauce, often flavored with paprika. On
top of potato wedges, it makes the dish patatas bravas, typical of tapas bars in
Spain.
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Guacamole: thicker than a sauce and generally used as a dip, it refers to any
sauce where the main ingredient is avocado.
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Mole: a Mexican sauce made from chili peppers
mixed with spices, unsweetened chocolate, almonds, and other ingredients.
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Mango Salsa: a spicy-sweet sauce made from mangoes and used as a topping for
nachos. It is often also used as a garnish on grilled chicken or grilled fish
due to the sauce's gamut of complementary flavors.
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There are many other salsas, both traditional and nouveau, some are made with
mint, pineapple, or mango. |
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Left: Red and green Salsa. |
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