All Salsas regardless of their origin, are without a doubt an essential part of a traditional Latin meal. Some of them can be a daily recognizable addition to any dish, but in some countries of South America, Salsas are a family tradition and even a once-a-year salsa making day for special occasions.
Since we think we all can agree that without Salsas we couldn’t enjoy many of our favorite Latin American dishes we are so used to eat with a hot or mild salsa and make those tacos into a completely different experience, we decided to bring you some knowledge about some of the most traditional Salsas in Latin America. Can you imagine tacos without salsa? How about your Carne Asada plain and simple?
From red, orange, green, multi-colorful and somewhere in between, the Latin American cuisine has delight us with this traditional art of Salsa making for decades if not centuries.
Here are some of the most famous SALSAS that deserve the spotlight at SABOR Chicago.[/vc_column_text]
We all had it with Chips! So if you haven’t… COME on! Tomatillos or Green Salsa is one of the most traditional salsas of the Mexican Cuisine.
It goes perfect basically with most foods. From carne asada, scrambled eggs and who can forget Green Enchiladas.
We found this recipe at Simply Recipes that includes 3 methods for making homemade Tomatillo Salsa. See Recipe here
Article and Recipe by Elise Bauer
Pebre is a Chilean condiment made of coriander, chopped onions, olive oil, garlic, and ground or pureed spicy aji peppers. It may contain also chopped tomatoes depending on the region in Chile where is made from.
Pebre is most commonly used in bread but can be found complimenting a large variety of meals throughout the country, in restaurants and homes alike. It is also used in meat, or when meat such as choripán is provided in a bread roll.
Find the Recipe here: SABOR RECIPES
Chimichurri is without a doubt, Argentina’s number one Salsa. When you hear its name, you think of Argentina and those succulent pieces of meat on the grill calling your name all the way around.
Chimichurri or Chimmichurri is an uncooked sauce that doubles as a marinade and an accompaniment to all cuts of beef. Chimichurri can be made as a green and a red version. It is made of finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and red wine vinegar.
The dominant flavors are parsley and garlic.
Pico de Gallo! The queen of Mexican Salsas one may say… So popular that no traditional and authentic Mexican Restaurant dares to skip it on every table as a complimentary appetizer even before you can even say… Agua!
This salsa is also known in some regions of Mexico as Salsa Cruda (raw sauce) or Salsa Fresca (fresh sauce) because traditionally, it is served raw.
The main ingredients of Pico de Gallo are onions, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapenos, and lime. Salt and Pepper. Raw and fairly chopped.
So if Pico de Gallo is the queen of all Salsas, GUACAMOLE must the king, correct? Well, we all know that a fiesta is not a Fiesta if there is no Guacamole so with that being said, I think we all can agree that this simple, yet delicious salsa is one of all favorites with any type of chips.
Thanks to such delicious fruit like the Avocados, along with some chopped onions, garlic, cilantro, lime, jalapenos and in some cases chopped garlic, we are always in for a great snack.
There are too many other Salsas from all over South America so we want to hear from you. Whether, you live in that country or you know of a traditional Salsa made in any South American Country, please let us know in the comments section below.
Until next time… Start Salsing (That is not a word, we just made it up)
