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In Spanish , ''salsa'' can refer to any type of Sauce , but in English it usually refers to the spicy, often tomato-based sauces typical of Mexican Cuisine , particularly those used as Dip s. PRONUNCIATION AND ETYMOLOGY ''Salsa'' is the Spanish word for Sauce , from Latin ''salsa'' "salty", from ''sal'', " Salt "; "saline" and " Salad " are related words. It is usually pronounced IPA in English; in Spanish it is pronounced . WELL KNOWN SALSAS Mexican salsas were traditionally produced using the Mortar And Pestle -like '' Molcajete '', although Blenders are now more commonly used. Well-known ''salsas'' include
There are many other salsas, both traditional and ''nouveau:'' for instance, some are made with Mint , Pineapple , or Mango . Salsa reputedly became popular in the United States during World War II due to rationing which made ketchup hard to produce. HEALTH ISSUES Care should be taken in the preparation and storage of salsa due to the fact that many raw-served varieties can serve as a good growth medium for potentially dangerous bacteria, especially when unrefrigerated. In 2002 a study appearing in the journal ''Annals of Internal Medicine'', conducted by the University of Texas-Houston Medical School, found that 66% of the sauces tested (71 samples tested, sauces being either: Salsa , Guacamole , or Pico De Gallo ) from restaurants in Guadalajara , Jalisco and 40% of those from Houston , Texas , were contaminated with E. Coli bacteria. The researchers found that the Mexican sauces from Guadalajara more frequently contained fecal contaminants and higher levels of the bacteria than those of the sauces from Houston, possibly as a result of more common improper refrigeration of the Mexican sauces. AMERICAN COMMERCIALLY PREPARED SALSA Most jarred, canned, and bottled salsa and picante sauces sold in the United States in grocery stores under brand names like Tostitos , Pace , Old El Paso , or Taco Bell are forms of ''salsa cruda''/''pico de gallo'', but to increase their shelf life, have been cooked and have Vinegar added. Unlike fresh ''salsa cruda'', these commercial jarred, canned, and bottled salsas typically have a semi-liquid texture more akin to that of canned tomatoes, and often resemble chunky commercial spaghetti sauces. While some salsa fans decry these products as not real ''salsa cruda'', their widespread availability and long shelf life are credited with much of salsa's enormous popularity in states outside of the southwest, especially in places where salsa is not a traditional part of the cuisine. Many grocery stores in the United States also sell "fresh", refrigerated salsa, usually in plastic containers. Fresh salsa is usually more expensive and has a shorter shelf life than canned or jarred salsa. It may or may not contain vinegar. Picante sauce is a term coined by condiment maker David Pace for his own version of salsa. Picante sauce is usually a little more pureed than salsa. ''Picante'' is a Spanish adjective that derives from ''picar'', which means "bite". REFERENCES |
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