Why do so many people make salsa like it's spaghetti sauce or ketchup?

Question

For example, I have some salsa in front of me right now that has Basil and oregano listed as ingredients! I know someone who adds brown sugar to an otherwise non-sweet salsa. I don't get it! Anyone noticed weird ingredients in salsa (I'm not talking about the specialty salsas like mango or peach salsa, just regular tomato salsa)? Anyone know why this happens to an innocent batch of salsa? Why do so many leave cilantro and lime out?

Answer 1

America has bastardized pretty much every good ethnic food in the world. Burritos aren't actaully mexican, Chop Suey can't be found in China, and the French don't care what we call your ridiculous "freedom fries," because they call them "frites." We'll take a croissant and stick a freaking cheeseburger in it.

Only YOU can save people from their own eating habits.

Answer 2

Mexican salsa is a native hybrid of Spanish and Pre-Columbian cooking, like most Mexican food. It traslates into "sauce". As for the "weird" ingredients, it is the culinary industries fault. There is an on going compitition to come up with the "next great flavor", much like most authors are trying to write the "Great (insert country here) novel"
Because most sauce, like pasta sauce and ketchup, have tried and true formulas you can't call your "Mango peach with habinero" dip "ketchup", people would filp. You also can't call it chutny or pesto or whatever. But, salsa means sauce right? And salsa is the original chip dip... There you go.

Oh and the brown sugar thing? Pace Pacante sauce has had a recipe for over 25 years of mixing their salsa, brown sugar and dejon mustard over chicken breast and baking it. I guess some people acutally eat the stuff? Me? if it has any corn, black beans or fruit in it, I throw it back.

I hope this helps

Answer 3

It depends on who makes the Salsa, like the Pace commercials with the cowboys who find out another cowboy eats Salsa that was made in New York City :P. Maybe you could try to find authentic Mexican Salsa or a recipe to make your own. If you can't, Chi-Chi's is really good, though. It's my favorite. I'm not sure if it has cilantro or lime or not, but it's the best tasting salsa i've ever tried.

Answer 4

Salsa's a lot like spaghetti sauce or ketchup - it's one of the most common condiments in central and south american cooking. People can customize them according to taste; also, sugar helps to decrease the acidity of tomatoes, and brown sugar adds a depth of flavor that white sugar doesn't. Some people (like my mother) just don't like cilantro - the flavor is too strong for them, so they substitute a small amount of basil/oregano and fresh parsley. A basic tomato salsa recipe provides just that - a base for you (or whoever) to experiment and add things to. Some are going to turn out well, some won't, but eventually you'll find what works for you. If you don't like it, then don't eat it. Simple as that.

Answer 5

I'm not sure if you're really looking for an answer. Aside from, if you truely love simple fresh salsa, then the best thing to do is get some tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and the rest and start choppin. Fresh salsa's better anyway.

Answer 6

Because we are making salsa not living salsa. If commercially developed salsa is what you know or what the majority of suppliers carry then some folks will mimic it. Good or not.

Answer 7

Taste is a personal thing. A lot of people love stuff I would never eat. Just look at the weird stuff some people like on pizza.

Answer 8

My brother in law make the worse! He trys to roast the peppers burns em then throws the mess in to the blender and it comes out like hot water! And brings this mess to every family get together! No one likes it but no one tells him not to!

Answer 9

salsa can have heaps of different things in it... i have never heard of anything weird

Answer 10

Ummm...perhaps preference and personal taste. Or, we can blame it on the culinary industry for deconstructing everything and once again revisiting personal taste.