No More Mild, Understanding Salsa and Its Options
For the health nut, salsa is a welcome addition to dry chips or traditional mexican cuisine. Salsa nutrition is some of the best stuff out there. In fact there are only four calories in a tablespoon of the average fresh salsa. With one tablespoon per chip, well you can do the math. Despite the incredible low impact of fresh salsa calories, that is not why most of us are self proclaimed salsa aficionados. As connoisseurs of salsa, we all know that no two salsas are created equal.
Here is why, and how recipes with salsa dip can stray from the classic mild salsa dip that is served at restaurants the nation over.
First of all, not all Mexican salsas resemble the American salsa at all. Or rather, the word salsa, as it is used in Mexico, simply means “sauce.” Since Mexican sauce can be used on virtually any Mexican dish, this understanding instantly broadens the die-hard’s conception of salsa. In the states, salsa is the fresh made dip that is composed of vegetables, herbs, and of course tomato to hold it all together. Another aspect, true to form with it’s Mexican counterpart, is salsa is runny. In the best of ways, salsa makes a splash. Pico de gallo on the other hand, is not always guaranteed to do so.
Pico de gallo is salsa, but all salsa is not pico de gallo.
So how does the classic mild salsa dip differ from pico de gallo? Pico de gallo is typically drier than traditional salsa, and can include unconventional salsa ingredients. These ingredients can include mango, beans, avocados, and other tropical fruits. Because of their added ingredients and versatile flavors pico de gallo can be added to anything from chicken to seafood, to pork, and to steak. Opportunities for spicing up and applying pico de gallo are only limited by your own imagination.
Added to the fray of delicious mexican sauces are Tex Mex and southwestern salsa recipes. These wholesome varieties generally incorporate black beans and corns to kick up the classic mild salsa dip. The most common application for southwestern salsa dip is, other than the standby tortilla chip, is chicken. However, this heartier of dips can also be applied to flank steak with some outstanding results.
