Foods of Mexico: Salsa

Foods of Mexico: Salsa When I hear the word Mexico, images of mouthwatering enchiladas and quesadillas come to mind. And of course, salsa. Salsa may not seem very unique, but its history stretches back to the time that the Aztecs ruled Mexico (Dumois). The Aztecs used salsas and guacamoles to transform “something as tasteless as white chicken breast into a real delicacy, worthy enough to be served on the most sophisticated and elegant table” (Dumois). Salsa is made from ingredients that are already in Mexico, such as red tomatoes, onion, garlic, chiles, and cilantro, also known as coriander (Dumois) (Sherril C.). Some salsas are based on little green tomatoes, or tomatillos, and sometimes even chocolate is used to make certain salsas (Dumois). Mexican cuisine has a wide variety of influences due to the colonization during the Age of Exploration and trade between people from various countries and continents. In a word, Mexican food is a result of several, diverse culinary influences and therefore a mixture of varied cooking styles and ingredients in various cultures (Manohar).
Finding the Best Recipe Before I could make the best Mexican salsa, I had to find the best recipe. I looked online, searching for “traditional Mexican salsa.” I found several good recipes, but the one that I like best was on an article called “Mexican Salsas.” The author was actually from Mexico, and you could tell from the way he compared himself with those who are not that he knew much about the country he came from (Dumois). Above the recipe, he typed, “Please cut the ingredients by hand, never using electric help” (Dumois). I especially liked that quote, because it showed respect to Ancient Aztec ways. The salsa seemed easy to make and something I would probably make again. So I decided to make my salsa according to Dumois’s instructions.
Getting the Ingredients After I found my recipe, I went to the grocery store to get the ingredients. The ingredients I needed for the recipe