The Spanish word for sauce is ‘salsa’. However, when it comes to ordering the varieties in your favorite Mexican restaurant, there are often salsa, picante sauce, Pico de gallo. The biggest difference is in the texture. Additionally, there red and green salsas that have unique differences. A rather smooth and puréed-like sauce is the Picante, the semi-chunky texture is the Salsa, and the uniformly chopped tomatoes that traditionally contains more peppers than salsa or picante sauce, is the Pico de gallo. Today, we the Eddie’s Mexican Restaurant would like to briefly elaborate on the various salsas and sauces often seen in Mexican cuisine.
Red or Green Salsa
When it comes to red or green salsa, the short differences, other than colors, is that red salsas are typically made from ripe chiles and tomatoes, whereas green salsas are made from less mature chiles. The more involved differences consist peppers between red and green bell peppers, that have their own individual tastes, though they are nearly the same thing. For a lot more of a sweeter taste, the red bell peppers have been allowed to ripen longer; whereas the green bell peppers are picked sooner, delivering a more bitter flavor. The red salsa is made with the ripen chiles and green salsa is made with the less ripe chiles. Aside from the chile’s maturation, there are additional differences between red and green salsa. Where some red salsas, not all, use tomatoes to add the red color, the green salsas commonly use tomatillos, though some green salsa recipes will omit them. Tomatillos are less watery and more acidic and are fruits similar to tiny green tomatoes. Red salsas have been known to include green chiles like jalapeños and serranos that are often used in green salsas. Featuring an overall herbal flavor, cilantro often makes an appearance in both, but more so in green salsas. While green salsas can be served chilled or as a warm sauce, the red salsas are usually served slightly chilled. Keep in mind, another general difference is that the red salsas tend to be spicier, or hotter than the green, though there are exceptions. As mentioned, the salsa’s consistency and texture can change, from chunky to smooth and some in between. This is usually due to the additional ingredients such as onions, avocado, dried chiles, as well as mango, and also the preparation of these ingredients such as served raw, charred, sautéed, grilled, and boiled. In any case, there is a shift in color, texture, heat or spicy based on the prep work, recipes, and other innovative twists hobby chefs or authentic Mexican chefs do.
Traditional Mexican Cuisine in Las Vegas, Nevada (Just Minutes from Summerlin, North LV & Henderson, NV
When it comes to salsas and sauces, they can be served in many ways. Often chips and dip use red salsa, or as a condiment that enhances the flavors in your favorite Mexican dish. No matter how you like your salsas and salsas, Eddie’s Mexican Restaurant looks forward to serving you a delicious variety! Come on by today!
