Salsa (food)
Salsa (IPA: /'salsə/) is the Spanish word for sauce, from Latin salsa of the same meaning, from sal, "salt". Related words: "saline", "salad".
In English-speaking countries, the word "salsa" is used to refer to a (usually somewhat spicy) sauce from Spanish or Latin American cuisines, particularly uncooked sauces or dips.
Well-known salsas:
- Salsa roja (="red sauce"): used as a condiment in Mexican and southwestern U.S. cuisine, and usually made with tomatoes, chile peppers, onion, garlic and fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves.
- Salsa cruda (="raw sauce") or Pico de gallo (="rooster/cockerel beak"): made with raw tomatoes, onions, peppers and other coarsely chopped raw ingredients.
- Salsa verde (="green sauce"): made with husk tomatoes, also known as tomatillos. Sauces made with tomatillos are usually cooked.
- Salsa brava (="wild sauce"): When put on top of potato wedges, it makes the dish patatas bravas, typical of tapas bars in Catalonia. Salsa brava is usually a mayonnaise-tabasco mix.
- Guacamole: any sauce whose main ingredient is avocado is usually called guacamole
There are many other salsas, both traditional and nouveau: for instance, some are made with mint, pineapple, or mango.