May is a big month for Mexican restaurants. We have Cinco de Mayo at the beginning of the month, but it’s also National Salsa Month. If you’ve been looking for an excuse to get Mexican food in NH (as if you needed one), come to El Tapatio to celebrate salsa in the month of May!
Now, you may think you know a thing or two about salsa, but there are actually some fun and surprising facts that you probably didn’t know.
Are you ready to celebrate salsa by enjoying Mexican food in NH? Here are some fun facts about salsa to whet your appetite!
- Not much has changed since the Aztecs first started making salsa. Tomatoes and chilies are native to what we now call Latin and South America, and the Aztecs combined them thousands of years ago. Today, a basic salsa recipe includes tomatoes, chilies, onions, and limes. Tomatoes and chilies are the key ingredients, and they are both native to the Americas.
- The way Americans consume salsa is weird to Mexicans. While we will happily load up a tortilla chip with salsa, they prefer it in moderation. Salsa means “sauce” in Spanish, and that’s how they tend to treat it. To a Mexican, watching us chow down on salsa would be like if we saw someone drink salad dressing straight from the bottle.
- No matter how Mexicans feel about Americans’ salsa-eating habits, there’s no denying that we love it. In fact, salsa was the most popular condiment in the US in 1991. Other sauces have since dethroned it, but salsa remains high up on the list.
- If you’re a health-conscious eater, you should never feel bad about enjoying salsa. According to the USDA, it’s technically a vegetable. And if you look at the ingredients list, it’s hard to argue the point.
- Did you know that pico de gallo means “rooster’s beak”? Don’t worry, there’s no roosters (or beaks) in this fresh salsa. The name probably refers to the shape of the chili peppers traditionally used to make it.
- Salsa dancing is named after the food. The dance is a combination of Hispanic, Caribbean, and African moves that became popular in the 1970s. Club owners in New York City promoted the music and dancing as spicy and soulful, just like the taste of salsa.