Salsa (food)

Salsa

Clockwise from top: habanero, chipotle and chimichurri
Type	Sauce
Region or state	Mexico
Main ingredients	Varies

Salsa is the Spanish, Italian, Greek, and Turkish (salça) term for sauce. In English-speaking countries, salsa usually refers to the sauces typical of Mexican cuisine known as salsas picantes, particularly those used as dips.

Salsa is often a tomato-based sauce or dip that is a heterogeneous mixture that includes additional ingredients such as onions, chilies, beans, corn, and various spices. It is typically piquant, ranging from mild to extremely hot.

The word salsa entered the English language from the Spanish salsa ("sauce"), which itself derives from the Latin salsus (salted). The native Spanish pronunciation is [ˈsalsa]. In American English it is pronounced /ˈsɑːlsə/, while in British English it is pronounced as /ˈsælsə/.

Mexican salsas were traditionally produced using the mortar and pestle-like molcajete, although blenders are now more commonly used. The Maya made salsa also, using a mortar and pestle. Well-known salsas include:

There are many other salsas, both traditional and nouveau, some are made with mint, pineapple, or mango.