Highlights
1. Salsa and Picante are both popular Mexican sauces made from tomatoes and chilies, but they have some differences in terms of consistency and preparation.
2. Salsa can be made with various ingredients like mangoes, pineapples, or peaches, but the most popular version is made with tomatoes. It can be made at home or bought from supermarkets.
3. Picante, which translates to hot or stingy, is a smoother sauce with a greater consistency than salsa. It also includes tomatoes, onions, chilies, salt, sugar, and peppers, but the ingredients are thoroughly mixed to create a smooth sauce.
Introduction
The popularity of Mexican food in the US is increasing, leading to the acceptance of Mexican sauces like Salsa and Picante. Many people think they are the same due to their similar looks and taste, but there are differences between them. In this article, we will highlight the distinctions between Salsa and Picante.
Salsa
Salsa is a Spanish word that means sauce. Although most people associate it with tomato sauce, Salsa can be made using other ingredients like mangoes, chilies, pineapples, or peaches. However, tomato-based Salsa remains the most popular sauce in Mexico. It can be easily made at home or purchased from supermarkets. The simplest recipe involves tomatoes, onions, chilies, and cilantro, left uncooked. However, there are countless ways to make more complex Salsa sauces by adding different ingredients to enhance the aroma and flavor.
Picante
Picante is a Spanish word that translates to hot or stingy. However, it is difficult to determine if Picante sauce is hotter than Salsa when purchasing it from a grocery store. The ingredients in Picante are similar to those in Salsa, including tomatoes, onions, chilies, salt, sugar, peppers, and various spices. The noticeable difference is that Picante has a smoother consistency compared to Salsa. The ingredients in Picante are mixed thoroughly to create a smooth sauce.
Key Differences
– In the US, Salsa and Picante are sold as separate sauces from Mexico, but Picante is actually a variant of Salsa with the same ingredients and a thinner consistency.
– Despite the word “picante” translating to hot, picante sauce is not necessarily spicier than Salsa.
– Salsa is chunkier than Picante.
– “Salsa” means sauce in Spanish.
– Some companies sell “Salsa Picante,” which means spicy or hot Salsa.
– Salsa contains pieces of tomatoes and onions, while the ingredients in Picante are thoroughly mixed.
