| History of Salsa | | | | Avocado - cultivated by the Aztecs the avocado was |
| The word "salsa" is the Spanish word for sauce. The | | | | an important source of fat and protein and was used |
| salsas that many of us think of are salsa frescas or | | | | in a sauce similar to what we call guacamole. |
| salsa cruda, fresh sauces served as a condiment | | | | Two Delicious Salsa Recipes: |
| aside a Mexican meal. These uncooked sauces might | | | | 2 c fresh plum tomato, diced |
| be pureed until smooth, semi-chunky, or the uniformly | | | | 1 c fresh green tomato, diced |
| chopped pico de gallo (my favorite). | | | | 1/2 c fresh green bell pepper, diced |
| The Chile – Tomato Combination | | | | 1/4 c fresh purple onion, chopped. |
| The making of of a sauce by combining chiles, | | | | 1 tbsp jalapeno pepper, finely chopped |
| tomatoes, spices and other ingredients like squash | | | | 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped |
| seeds and even beans has been documented back to | | | | 1 clove fresh garlic, minced |
| the Aztec culture.. | | | | 1/4 tsp salt. |
| We have Spanish-born Bernadino de Sahagun to | | | | 1/8 tsp coarsely ground pepper. |
| thank for the detailed culinary history of the Aztec | | | | 2 tbsp fresh lime juice |
| culture. His extensive writings documented every food | | | | 1 tbsp olive oil. |
| common to the culture. This is an excerpt from | | | | Directions: |
| Sahagun's writings about the food vendors in the large | | | | Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir well. Serve at |
| Aztec markets: | | | | room temperature or chilled. Serve with corn or flour |
| "He sells foods, sauces, hot sauces, fried [food], | | | | tortilla wedges, poultry, or fish. |
| olla-cooked, juices, sauces of juices, shredded [food] | | | | Yield: 3 cups (approx 6 calories per tbsp). |
| with chile, with squash seeds, with tomatoes, with | | | | Mango Salsa |
| smoke chile, with hot chile, with yellow chile, with mild | | | | 2 medium ripe mangoes |
| red chile sauce, yellow chile sauce, sauce of smoked | | | | 1 small cucumber, peeled, diced (it says seeded, but I've |
| chile, heated sauce, he sells toasted beans, cooked | | | | never bothered) |
| beans, mushroom sauce, sauce of small squash, | | | | 1 ripe tomatojuice of 1 lime (lemon works, too!)pinch of |
| sauce of large tomatoes, sauce of ordinary tomatoes, | | | | salt |
| sauce of various kinds of sour herbs, avocado sauce. | | | | 1/2 - 1 small fresh chile pepper, minced, or Tobasco or |
| (Sahagun, translated 1950 -1982). | | | | other hot peppersauce to taste (I have always used |
| Ingredients Then and Now | | | | Tobasco) |
| The paragraph above refers to many of the | | | | 1 Tablespoon chopped, fresh cilantro (It says optional, |
| ingredients in our modern-day salsas. | | | | but I don't reallythink so) |
| Large tomatoes - We believe this references is to a | | | | Peel and chop the mangoes. In a large bowl, mix |
| large red tomato similar to what we eat to day. | | | | together the mangoes,cucumber, tomato, lime juice, |
| Ordinary tomatoes - most likely this reference is to the | | | | salt, chile or tabasco, and cilantro. Letsalsa sit for 10 |
| tomatillo or tomate verde. | | | | minutes to allow the flavors to blend before serving. |
| Smoked chiles - The chipotle or smoked jalapeno was | | | | Mangosalsa keeps refrigerated for 2 or 3 days. |
| a staple in the Aztec diet. | | | | |
