Pace Foods

Pace Foods is a producer of a variety of salsas located in Paris, Texas. The company was founded in 1947 by David Pace when he developed a recipe for a salsa he called "Picante" sauce, "made with the freshest ingredients, harvested and hand-selected in peak season to achieve the best flavor and quality". In 1995, the company was acquired by Campbell Soup Company for $1.115 billion.

David Pace grew up in Louisiana, learning the operations of his family's syrup business. He earned a football scholarship to Tulane University, where he played in the first Sugar Bowl in 1937 and earned his undergraduate degree in science. During World War II pilot training school brought him to San Antonio, Texas, where he returned after his discharge in 1945 and began a career in the food industry.

Pace began his own food business of bottled syrups, as well as jellies and jams. All of these products were made, packed and shipped out of a small space in the back of a liquor store that he and his wife, Margaret, rented. Over time, he expanded the business to a variety of other condiments. In 1947 he decided the real “syrup of the Southwest” was Mexican picante sauce—which is now known as salsa or picante sause.

Starting with a basic recipe, he experimented with different blends of ingredients. He tested the results on his golf buddies, before settling on one mix of jalapeños, onions and tomatoes. He named his creation “picante” sauce—Spanish for “piquant”, meaning “flavorful” or “spicy”.

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