So I have a friend. Let's call him @eman1200 just to protect his identity. This guy and I both grow a lot of peppers . He is growing about 1,500 X more peppers than I am and we frequently compare notes. There is always this bit of confusion where I will use the term "hot sauce" and he will virtually nod knowingly but it turns out we are both thinking of something different. In my part of the world "hot sauce" and "salsa" can be used interchangeably. The waiter will say "Ya want some chips and hot sauce?" and we all know they aren't going to bring us tortilla chips and a bowl of tabasco. They bring salsa. I get that hot sauce means something very specific to some people but I assumed the interchangeability of the 2 words was universal. Hot sauce can mean salsa but salsa can never mean hot sauce. In my head these 2 things are hot sauce (but only the 2nd can be called salsa) Also for the record, I have been to Mexico and they call this "salsa" This is NOT "Salsa". This is Pico da Gallo In your land, when you hear hot sauce, is it strictly reserved for the thin tabasco type sauce or is it a generic term for all things which one might dip a chip into? Also if I put "Salsa" into a blender and turned it on for 2 hours, does the salsa become hot sauce. Is the only real identifying characteristic, the viscosity? Lastly, my friend may need some suggestions for storing peppers for the next handful of years.
I had nevereverever heard the term hot sauce used for salsa until I heard u say it. also, I have nevereverever gone to the hot sauce section of a supermarket and seen salsa. does salsa have any form of vinegar in it? all hot sauces I've ever had have been smooth. might have been thick, but mostly smooth, while salsa is chunky and far less blended, if blended at all. any mexican restaurant I've ever been to ask if u want chips and salsa, and bring out, surprisingly, salsa.
"....In my part of the world "hot sauce" and "salsa" can be used interchangeably...." Maybe you should move. What color is the sky there?
People say ''Salsa'' because it is fun to say ''Salsa''.... Actually, in my area, what is normally called salsa is called fiesta mix... but only by the old folks.
There are a LOT of people from a lot of different backgrounds in Texas. When I think of hot sauce, I think there can be a very wide variety, but it's usually highly blended... or Tabasco / Louisiana style. Salsa is usually tomato based (unless it's green salsa) and has chunks, but is NOT Pico da Gallo And people who make "Pico da Gallo" without peppers are frauds, but fresh Pico da Gallo is very good.
Yes. I would say chunks are the defining factor. Also hot sauce tends to be just vinegar and peppers, whereas salsa has tomatoes and onions.
That is reserved for Pace in my world which is the Radio Shak of hot sauces (salsas). I dont know why it is so prolific. It is crap and we deserve better!
@OkieFlyer What say you? Wonder if it is an Oklahoma thing. We started using the term "hot sauce" when ordering chips and hot sauce at El Chico in Yukon OK as a kid.
Salsa is the Spanish word for sauce. In the US, salsa usually implies some veggies in it (typically tomatoes), but if you're south of the border somewhere, you may just get some sort of sauce be it hot sauce or a fancy ketchup like Lizano (the universal Costa Rican condiment).
Oh ya, Pace sucks. Just about every store bought variety I’ve tried belongs in the trash can. To me, a good salsa is very textured, not puréed like most of the common names are. Diced tomatoes, onions, peppers, cilantro, the works. There’s a Mexican restaurant nearby that makes their own, and it’s amazing! I have a hard time eating anything else after trying theirs.
Hot sauce is the equivalent of broth/stock. Salsa is like soup, and can vary in consistency, but you still need a spoon to get it out of a container without losing some of it. Pico is like stew and you can scoop it out of a container with a fork.
Although Salsa means sauce from spanish, here in the US salsa typically refers to tomato based blend of a coarse thick chunky dipping sauce. Hot sauce is HOT and is pureed fine. I dont think Hot sauce can be called salsa, not in my head.
Salsa is really a tomato chutney. Hot sauce is a puree of peppers, salt, spices and whatever else. Were I making hot sauce I'd ferment the peppers, but that's just me.
SPC: You need to get some Hell on the Red party dip to sample.... My youngest will shovel in the chips dipped in it about as fast as he can without choking.
Maybe the waiter ain’t from around here and doesn’t know the difference. But you need to tip him/her at least 20% for not knowing the difference, otherwise you hate restaurant workers. Wait. You can afford to eat out at a place with table service and wait staff? You must own a plane too.
using the words "hot sauce" is sort of like calling all carbonated soft drinks a "coke" which is done regularly in these parts.
I guess I need to go into anonymous and ask a doc about my recent mental illness, but I have agree ... these folks are correct!
Most certainly not an Okie thing. Salsa is salsa. Hot sauce is Tabasco or similar. Salsa may be blended up to be "less chunky", but it's still not hot sauce. If you ask for hot sauce in OK, you're getting Tobasco or Louisiana-style sauce.
And don't forget, in New Mexico the waitperson will say "red or green," and if you answer "Christmas" you get both.
Very true.... problem is that just about all restaurants get their chili from the same restaurant supply. So there is very little variation in the red or green between restaurants.
Hot sauce comes in a skinny red bottle and has a watery viscosity. Accept no substitutes. Salsa/Picante Sauce has chunks of veggies in it. By the way, the San Antonio Salsa Company was bought out by HEB and they sell it under the HEB/Hill Country Fare brand now. Same stuff. Still the BEST!
