I've been reading a lot of the cooking threads and have been noticing the term "hot sauce" is usually used for bottled chile sauces, and the fresh un-bottled sauce is usually called "salsa". For me salsa just means sauce of any kind. How do you all use the two terms? Do most people use the two terms in the way mentioned above?
What is considered "Hot Sauce" and "Salsa"?
- Thread starter Tecolote
- Start date
SadisticPeppers
eXtreme Business
For me, it's all about the consistency and ingredients. I've always associated any kind of salsa with using diced ingredients and being of a chunky consistency, and besides peppers, containing things like onions, tomatoes, garlic, cilantro and maybe even mango, whereas hot sauce has a soupier consistency, with a couple of the same ingredients (ie garlic and maybe the odd onion or two) but containing things like carrots, honey, vinegar if someone wants to dilute the heat a touch, etc. To some degree, this'll be something of a "ask 10 people, get 10 answers" kind of a thing 
Hot sauce = smooth. Salsa = chunky.
A hot sauce has cooked ingredients. A salsa has fresh ingredients.
Mike's got it right.
Wanna farther confuse it? Throw in Pico de Gallo.
Tecolote, does it make more sense if we called non-bottled salsa, salsa fresca? That's how I've heard it referred to in a few places in Mexico. I'm sure Willard will come correct me and (hopefully) clarify.
Wanna farther confuse it? Throw in Pico de Gallo.
Ah yes, Pico needs its OWN category!!! It is a gift from the gods. I shall make some tonight. Rinse that cilantro!!
Yeah i notice a lot of people call Pico de Gallo "salsa" when there is nothing sauce like about it, which really bugs me. Maybe I'm just hung up on the spanish definition salsa=sauce. Like when people say they're BBQ'ing but they're really just grilling burgers and hot dogs.
lol. Yeah. Don't get me started on "Yankee BBQ". That's grillin'!!!
Salsa, yes, of course, means sauce. There are many salsas I cook with like mole and roja. These are not chunky, and not for chips.
Pico de gallo is salsa, in fact, that's where we get our version of chunky salsa; tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro. The rest of Mexican salsas do not have tomato and are smooth, and those are the ones I prefer. The pepper-based ones you get at the table at real Mex joints.
Now these words take on new meanings in other countries. So the American version of salsa is yes, usually thick and/or chunky. It is based on pico but has more tomato. It is the counterpart to tortilla chips. There are all kinds of variations, like mango, etc. but everyone knows what you mean when you say salsa.
If you want hot sauce in Mexico you may order salsa picante. They will either bring you what you know as salsa or hot sauce unless you are more specific and know the type of the salsa. But hot sauce (salsa picante) in America is the bottled condiment with a (usually) vinegar and/or pepper base made popular by Tabasco and other Louisiana style hot sauces. Again, many variations, but people know exactly what you mean when you say hot sauce.
Pico de gallo is salsa, in fact, that's where we get our version of chunky salsa; tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro. The rest of Mexican salsas do not have tomato and are smooth, and those are the ones I prefer. The pepper-based ones you get at the table at real Mex joints.
Now these words take on new meanings in other countries. So the American version of salsa is yes, usually thick and/or chunky. It is based on pico but has more tomato. It is the counterpart to tortilla chips. There are all kinds of variations, like mango, etc. but everyone knows what you mean when you say salsa.
If you want hot sauce in Mexico you may order salsa picante. They will either bring you what you know as salsa or hot sauce unless you are more specific and know the type of the salsa. But hot sauce (salsa picante) in America is the bottled condiment with a (usually) vinegar and/or pepper base made popular by Tabasco and other Louisiana style hot sauces. Again, many variations, but people know exactly what you mean when you say hot sauce.
Good explanation except that I've also had many smooth, tomato-based salsas in Mexico as well. Probably state dependent. Dunno. Been to probably 7-8 states, so I'm far from an expert, but this is what I've encountered. again, many variations, but people know exactly what you mean when you say hot sauce.
Yup I should say "most" other.
So many salsas that's why we take the words and "brand" them so they relate to one thing. There are lots of examples of this.
So many salsas that's why we take the words and "brand" them so they relate to one thing. There are lots of examples of this.
Kleenex.
My memory tells me that I definitely had warm roasted tomato salsa in Jalisco at least twice. Nothing in a city in Quintana Roo counts, I don't think (perhaps that's a bit too harsh
), and I remember some (to me) bizarre condiment and fascinating dishes in Zacatecas. That's where I was introduced to homemade cueritos, too.