The Salsa Review

Paul's Restaurant Style - Hot

2007-12-04T08:09:00.001-08:00

Texture: Like gravy
Flavor: Fresh tomatoes, garlic
Price: $3.99 for 16 oz
Where available: Piggly Wiggly, see website
Refrigeration: Yes
Website: http://www.paulssalsa.com
Spiciness: 4
Grade: A

I stumbled upon Paul's Salsa in the refrigerated section in the front of Piggly Wiggly in Homewood. It looks very fresh and is a local operation from Odenville, AL (Home of the state prison). I finished it off rather quickly, as it's quite good. It tastes like something you'd make at home with fresh, raw tomatoes and chopped garlic. The consistency is about as far from chunky as you can get, but Paul's does sell a chunky style version. I prefer the restaurant style, though. I have some constructive criticism to offer regarding the "Hot" label on the packaging; it is misleading. It would barely pass muster as a Medium salsa on the spicy scale, unless you are a grouchy old lady like my mother who flips out every time she eats something with black pepper in it. I just purchased a second container of Paul's, so I definitely like it regardless of the pseudo-hot label. I would love to try a spicier version of Paul's Salsa.

Toney's Naturals - Green with Envy and Fire Roasted Red

2007-09-13T12:46:00.001-07:00

It's been a LOOONG time since I received a shipment of salsa in the mail to try out. The other day, a box arrived on my doorstep from Toney's Naturals in Nashville, Tennessee. Inside: a container of Green with Envy and a container of Fire Roasted Red. It was evening when I arrived home, so I was excited about skipping dinner in favor of a big snack of chips and salsa. And my mother wasn't around to tell me that skipping dinner is so bad for me and if I skip it, I will get cancer of the colon, breasts, ovaries, lymph nodes, and also a heart attack, by the age of 35. Wouldn't you argue that chips and salsa does make a nutritious, fulfilling dinner? It has corn and tomatoes and onions. And tomatoes have lycopene. So there.

Additionally, Toney's Naturals are made from organic ingredients, so what it does NOT have is pesticides.

Green with Envy

Texture: Small chunks
Flavor: Chipotle, tomatillos
Price: Unknown
Where available: Available by ordering online
Refrigeration: Yes
Website: Yes
Spiciness: 3
Grade: B+

On Toney's Naturals website, the description of Green with Envy says, "An uncanny combination of fire roasted tomatillo; kiwi and fruity habanero. It will make you Green with ENVY!". I'm not sure who would be green with envy - probably the person who does not have easy access to good, fresh salsa. Like me. Green with Envy contains an unusual ingredient for salsa: kiwi. I think this sweetens it up a bit, and a lot of salsas use sugar for sweetening, so kiwi sounds like a smart replacement. The flavor is of fire-roasted tomatillos, and the salsa has a texture typical of tomatillo-based salsas - a little like jelly. If you're a fan of green salsas, this one would be worth trying. I'm not as crazy about green salsas unless I'm pouring it on top of some chicken enchiladas. Green with Envy would be an excellent choice for homemade enchiladas verde.

Fire Roasted Red

Texture: Moderately chunky
Flavor: Fire roasted flavor, of course!
Price: Unknown
Where available: Available by ordering online
Refrigeration: Yes
Website: Yes
Spiciness: 5
Grade: A-

The Fire Roasted Red has a self-explanatory name, with a flavor of fire-roasted tomatoes and a hint of chipotle. The salsa has small to moderate sized chunks of tomatoes, with a moderate hint of jalopeno pepper, enough to tickle the tongue. The interesting thing about this salsa is that it has mangoes and peaches in it. I couldn't taste either one, but it lends a hint of sweetness to the flavor. It's a good salsa especially if you like fire roasted flavors.

Mecca's Salsa

2007-01-29T08:33:00.000-08:00

Texture: Finely chopped
Flavor: Fresh, homemade
Price: Unknown
Where available: Available in March 2007
Refrigeration: Yes
Website: Yes
Spiciness: 4
Grade: A

It's been over six months since I wrote a salsa review here, and it isn't because I stopped loving salsa. I have not received any samples in the mail, until this week. And I'm waiting for the ten-year-long construction of Whole Foods Market here in Birmingham to be completed. When it's finally open, I will use some of my Social Security income to buy salsas I haven't tried before.

On Friday I found a package on my doorstep from Mecca's Salsa. Inside was a container of freshly made salsa with a note from Mecca about how only fresh ingredients with no preservatives are used, so the salsa has a refrigerator shelf life of about ten days. This salsa lasted about two hours so that wasn't a problem. (I ate all of it rather quickly.) The texture is finely chopped but not too juicy, so the product stays on the chip en route from the bowl to your mouth. It's slightly spicy, just enough to offer a small kick, but not enough to clear your sinuses. The flavor is akin to homemade, with the taste of fresh ingredients.

I think it's quite good and wished I had more. Hopefully Mecca's operation will be up and running by March so that you can try some, too.

El Milagro tortilla chips

2006-07-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

I haven't tried any new salsas lately, but Whole Foods is opening up here soon. Something to look forward to. I haven't mentioned any tortilla chip brands I prefer on the Salsa Review. My favorites, of course, are the piping hot chips that are served at various Mexican restaurants. The most authetic chips I've found here in Birmingham that are served packaged are El Milagro Mexican Kitchen Style tortilla chips. You can get a 16 oz bag of them for a very economical $2.50 at Target (in the produce section). I've also found them at Central Market in Dallas, Texas. They are thin and crispy and unsalted. Salt can make chips tasty, but can also detract from the flavor of the salsa you are eating. I like how thin these chips are; they are much thinner than the standard tortilla chip you would find in the snack aisle, such as Tostitos. Unfortunately, I haven't found a lot of restaurant-style chips in the grocery stores to discuss. The El Milagro chip is the closest thing I've found. (And it's manufactured in Austin, Texas.)

La Banderita Salsa Dip (Mild)

2006-06-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

Texture: Restaurant style
Flavor: Mexican restaurant salsa
Price: $2.43 for 16 oz.
Where available: Wal-Mart

Refrigeration: Yes
Website: No
Spiciness: 4
Grade: B+

The packaging for La Banderita Authentic Restaurant Style Salsa Dip is sparse with information and also with ingredients. It has a modified Mexican flag on the lid and is distributed by a a company from Norcross, GA. The ingredient list is limited to tomatoes, jalopenos, onions, carrots and spices. I bought the salsa in the refrigerated section at Wal-Mart for $2.43. The only offering was "Mild" so that's what I took home.

I was kind of excited about trying a new salsa that looks like authentic restaurant salsa. And it does taste almost authentic, and the 'Mild' denotation is a little misleading, because it does have a small kick to it. It's a pretty good salsa, but I was mainly disappointed in the texture, which was too watery. I prefer the chopped-up texture of restaurant salsas over chunky textures, but this was a little juicy. I'd probably buy this salsa again, though — it's definitely the best salsa offered by Wal-Mart right now. I am not sure, though, if all Wal-Marts carry this product.

Beanie's Homemade - Hot

2006-03-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

Texture: Restaurant style
Flavor: Roasted tomatoes
Price: N/A
Where available: Kroger and HEB in Texas
Refrigeration: No
Website:Yes
Spiciness: 5
Grade: A-

Last week, I received Beanie's Homemade, a salsa created in the land of Texas. Texas, of course, is a state of many delicious salsas. I wonder why I have not moved there, since I do like salsa THAT much. My brief trip to Austin last spring was salsa-fully delicious. I long for my next trip to Central Market, where I can skip merrily through the salsa aisle, high on the smell of freshly made tortillas.

As usual, the first flavor I tried of Beanie's Homemade is the Hot flavor. I love the texture of this salsa; all ingredients are ground to a pulp, but the consistency is very thick and saucy, not watery. The flavor is excellent, although the Hot flavor to me seems more like a Medium in terms of spiciness. It's hard to describe... I'd say it tastes slightly like roasted tomatoes. The tomatoes are peeled and cooked in this salsa (the flyer included in the package noted that Beanie's peels the tomatoes to prevent the salsa from tasting bitter. Good move.)

I am usually not too crazy about jar salsas due to the numerous I've tried that seem rather gummy in consistency. Beanie's Homemade is excellent right out of the jar. It's worth a try if you live in the Texas area. (And she donates a portion of proceeds to Project Sunshine. You'll get the warm fuzzies by purchasing her salsa!)

The Hot flavor didn't take me long to consume, so now I'm eating the Medium flavor. I think it's slightly spicier than a mild and has a more tomoto-ey flavor. Consistency is similar to Hot. I prefer the Hot over the Medium, but if you're averse to heat, the Medium would be more preferable.

It's raining salsa!!

2006-02-23T09:08:00.000-08:00

What I've learned from receiving lots of salsa in the mail from generous vendors is that a single 125-lb woman cannot consume that much salsa without exploding. I'm certainly no Sonya Thomas. So, it's time to share with some of my favorite people at the local bike shop. I'll be spreading the salsa love around Birmingham and will post any relevant commentary here.

Coming up: A salsa from TEXAS, a state, er, I mean, COUNTRY, that produces more delicious salsa per capita than any other state, er, COUNTRY.

Salsa de Rosa - Extreme Heat

2006-02-18T14:00:00.000-08:00

Texture: Small chunks of tomato, peppers and onions, with lots of pepper seeds, slightly juicy
Flavor: Say it with me: HAWWWWWWT!
Price: $7.49 for 32 oz
Where available: Order online
Refrigeration: Yes
Website:Yes
Spiciness: 9
Grade: A+

I received a sample pack of three Salsa de Rosa flavors in the mail today: Extreme Heat, Hot and Medium. The lid of the Extreme Heat flavor had cracked and spilled some of its contents in the box, so I decided to try that one first since it was already open. (More packing materials would prevent this from happening; other mail order salsa companies ship their products in a styrofoam container.)

Eating Extreme Heat salsa put me in heaven and hell at the same time. "Life is SO WONDERFUL!", I thought to myself as I shoveled more and more salsa into my mouth. This stuff is DELICIOUS! And then the heat caught up with me. "HOLY MOTHER OF GOD," I thought, as I proceeded to remove all of the liquid contents of my sinuses through my nose into a Kleenex. But I was addicted to the salsa at first bite, so I couldn't stop eating it. Then my tongue literally caught on fire, and I darted into the kitchen to drench the flames with a teaspoonful of sugar.

If you know me personally or have been reading any of my blogs, past and present, you know I like suffering. If you don't know me, well suffice it to say, I like suffering. Therefore, we can conclude that I like this salsa. A LOT. The ingredients are top quality, all natural, and include no preservatives. Salsa de Rosa's tag line is A fiesta on a chip. How about A fiesta on my tongue? I'm glad I'm typing this instead of speaking, because my tongue had such a good fiesta that now it's feeling kind of hung over.

Anyhow, what I'm trying to tell you is that you should seriously consider ordering Salsa de Rosa online if you are looking for a new salsa to try. You can order a salsa sampler for only $4.00 here if you don't want to take my word for it. They have other flavors if you aren't a glutton for pain as I am: Mild, Medium, Hot and Verde. For about twenty bucks (including shipping), you can order three 32 oz salsas, which is about the same price that you would pay for 96 ounces of fresh salsa in the produce department of a grocery store. Except that Salsa de Rosa is much, much BETTER.

3/6/2006 - Additional note: I've had the chance to try out the Hot and Medium flavors as well. With Salsa de Rosa, the hotter the flavor, the better the salsa. The Hot is pretty good, but the Medium is too onion-y.

Sisters Salsa from Blue Hill, Maine

2006-01-20T18:35:00.000-08:00

Texture: Chunks of tomato, onion and cilantro in tangy juice
Flavor: Fresh
Price: Order online
Where available: Shaw's, Hannaford Bros (NH/ME)
Refrigeration: Yes
Website:Yes
Spiciness: 4
Grade: A-

When I got home from work, I spied a box sitting on my front porch displaying the word that brings joy: PERISHABLE. A new shipment of salsa to try!! I rushed inside and opened my box of bounty. Neatly packed inside: a t-shirt advertising Sisters Salsa from Blue Hill, Maine. Hmm. Cotton isn't edible. Underneath the shirt, still cold next to cold packs, are two containers each of the two flavors of Sisters Salsa: "Sisters Salsa" and "Twice the Spice".

An enclosed note listed some interesting facts about Sisters Salsa. It contains no cooked tomato product, thickeners, emulsifiers or stabilizers. Ingredients are: tomato, onion, cilantro marinated in lime juice, lemon juice, vinegar and seasoned with sea salt, peppers and garlic.

Thus, it must be refrigerated since it has no preservatives. This makes it good!

First I tried Twice the Spice because I like to start with the strongest or hottest product available from a producer. It's a good salsa! Both products are more like pico de gallo than restaurant-style salsa or thick salsa in a jar. The tomatoes and onions are very tasty. The lime and lemon juice help to create a flavor that is different from any other salsa I have tried before. My only criticism is that I think the recipe is too salty. The best strategy is to eat this salsa with unsalted chips.

Onto the regular flavor of Sisters Salsa. Should it be called Less Spice But Just as Nice? Actually, I like this one better than Twice the Spice. It doesn't taste as salty or citrus-y as Twice the Spice. It's quite good!

Don't let the word "spice" mislead you. These salsas are spicy in the sense that they have a lot of flavor, but not in that hot-jalopeno-my-mouth-is-on-fire kind of spicy. This is a great salsa for those who prefer a mild to medium salsa. It would be a perfect addition to the top of a taco salad.

Sisters Salsa can be ordered online at http://www.sendsalsa.com, or if you're patient, you can request that grocers carry it locally. The company has an automated form for you to send to grocers at http://www.salsagram.com.

Joe T. Garcia's Salsa Picante (Hot)

2005-11-25T15:32:00.000-08:00

Texture: Smooth, with tomato chunks
Flavor: Heat
Price: $2.50 for 16 oz jar
Where purchased: Target
Refrigeration: No
Website: No
Spiciness: 9
Grade: A

I'm taking my tongue to be treated at the burn unit. Joe T. Garcia doesn't lie when he labeled this salsa as Hot. See, the problem is that many salsa makers offer a "Hot" version of their salsa which isn't hot at all. So when I was at Target today, I chose the "Hot" version of Joe T. Garcia's because I assumed it probably wouldn't be that hot, and I do like to eat hot salsa.

My tongue is on fire. And I love this salsa. It smells of insanely hot peppers, and I like the smooth texture too. A lot of unrefrigerated jar salsas have a strange gummy texture, but not Joe T. Garcia's. The salsa is made in Fort Worth, Texas, and a restaurant there bears the same name. Those Texans know how to make some good salsa, and they aren't afraid to make it hot.

La Mexicana Medium Salsa

2005-11-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

Texture: Very chunky
Flavor: Fresh tomatoes
Price: N/A
Where purchased: Publix in GA, some Wal-Marts
Refrigeration: Yes
Website: Yes
Spiciness: 3
Grade: B-

The Sales Director for La Mexicana Food Products contacted me about sending me some samples of their salsas. It's been a while since I received samples to review, so I was very excited. He overnighted three different salsas in a cooler with ice packs, and the first one I tried is the La Mexicana Medium Salsa (pictured above).

He noted that La Mexicana brand salsas are available in some Georgia Publix Supermarkets and some Wal-Marts. I checked my local Wal-Mart and Publix stores and did not find either available at the stores closest to where I live. [11/19 addendum: I found La Mexicana salsas at Publix in Birmingham in the produce section in a different area than the other refridgerated salsas.]

To preface my review, I'd like to note what the sales director said about La Mexicana salsas. La Mexicana makes only salsas (no other type of product such as chips or burritos.) Produce is their specialty, and their products are very fresh with no filler or chemical ingredients, no sugar, and no vinegar.

Thus, La Mexicana Medium salsa tastes like fresh tomatoes. It is a very chunky salsa (no mushy tomatoes and they are not cooked like other salsas), so it reminds me of pico de gallo instead of traditional Mexican salsa. I can see some cilantro and onions mixed in with the tomatoes. However, the "Medium" salsa, to me, tastes rather mild, unless I have permanently dulled my taste buds by recently eating other salsas which were painfully hot. I'm going to try the "Hot" flavor next.

My personal preference for salsa is smooth, not chunky, and very spicy, but that shouldn't stop anyone who prefers a pico-style salsa from trying La Mexicana. It is an unquestionably fresh product, and far better than what you would eat if you purchased room-temperature salsa from a jar.

Qdoba "Salsa Roja"

2005-10-11T09:28:00.000-07:00

Texture: Slightly chunky
Flavor: Hot sauce?
Price: $1.50 for order of chips and salsa
Where purchased: Qdoba
Refrigeration: Yes
Website: Yes
Spiciness: 6
Grade: B-

I have eaten at Qdoba a few times since it opened last year, but I haven't tried their salsa because they are stingy and do not offer free chips and salsa to customers like Moe's. That's why Moe's is better. Qdoba has higher menu prices than Moe's for less food. However, for six bucks, I can eat two meals from one menu item, and that's still a bargain.

Qdoba started this new customer loyalty program where you buy X amount of menu items (I don't know the number) and you get something for free. If you register your Qdoba card online, they credit the card with a free order of free chips and salsa. How very generous of them!

Which leads me to the reason for this post: Qdoba salsa. They have a few options. I tried the hot "Salsa Roja", which was delivered in a small plastic container around 3 or 4 ounces in size, with a bag of tasty, but overly salted chips.

I have my suspicions that this salsa is bottled instead of made fresh on-site. It has the color and slightly gummy texture of a bottle of hot sauce with added chunky canned tomatoes and onions. It has a spicy kick to it and a hint of fire-roasted flavor.

The salsa is okay. The chips are better. I would eat this salsa again, but I wouldn't seek it out.

Bring Moe's/Qdoba home (recipe)

2005-08-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

I like eating burritos at Moe's and Qdoba, but it's cheaper to eat at home so I thought I'd try to emulate what they are doing. It's pretty easy, and I have enough leftovers to make very quick meals for the rest of the week.

Quick burritos

Ingredient list:
1 can black beans
Fresh cilantro
Salsa
8 oz Mexican blend shredded cheese
Whole wheat tortillas
1/2 lb chicken (2 breasts)
Vegetable or Olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves
Dried red pepper flakes
2 tbsp Lime juice

Cut up the chicken into small pieces. Pour enough oil to cover the bottom of a small skillet. Add lime juice, red pepper flakes and diced garlic cloves to the oil. Saute the chicken in the oil until it starts to turn light brown. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

I heat up the (drained) black beans in the skillet with the used oil, but you can also heat them in the microwave.

Place an open tortilla in the microwave with shredded cheese on top and heat for 10-15 seconds until cheese is melted. Top with chicken, black beans, salsa, and cilantro, then wrap up into a burrito shape.

I store the extra ingredients separately in the fridge. It takes less than 5 minutes to wrap up a burrito or two.

Recipe: Chunky Fire Roasted Salsa

2005-08-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

Maria at Garlicster just posted a recipe for homemade fire-roasted salsa. She even added photos of the cooking process to her post, which makes me want to eat salsa right this very minute, even though it is 9:30 am!

Here's the recipe.

Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Salsa: Some like it hot

2005-07-23T18:24:00.000-07:00

Texture: Slightly chunky
Flavor: Hot peppers!
Price: $3.49
Where purchased: Publix
Refrigeration: Yes
Website: Yes
Spiciness: 8
Grade: A

Garden Fresh Gourmet's Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Salsa is named such because it contains Jalapeño & Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Peppers. The name is a bit misleading because I associate Jamaica with sweet flavors such as pineapple. I almost decided not to try this salsa out until I read the ingredients list and found that there was no pineapple or any other tropical flavors within.

Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Salsa is indeed hot as the packaging notes. It tastes very much like their Jack's Special Medium sans the cilantro and with the addition of many, many peppers! If you are a fan of hot peppers, you will love this salsa. The heat is not tear-inducing, but neither is it for the weak of tongue. Give it a try if you like hot salsa.

my luck changes!

2005-07-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

Just as soon as I write about living a sad, lonely salsa-free life, my luck changes. First, I attended a Tour de France party and my taste buds were graced with a homemade masterpiece of a salsa made by a bike shop owner. He is going to sell his homemade salsa (rumored to be made with homegrown tomatoes) locally to raise money for charity. I'll post where to buy it if he does indeed sell it in the Birmingham area.

Next, I was at Publix and I decided to take a look at their fresh salsa section, having given up on it several months earlier. And just as Garden Fresh Gourmet owners Jack and Annette promised, Publix has begun to carry their products. Hooray! The selection was scant, but perhaps that means people are buying their salsas. I chose to try out a new one called Jamaican Scotch Bonnet salsa, and I'll review it in the next post.

And last, Maria at Garlicster emailed to offer some of her own salsa recipes. Since my tomato plants are now producing fruit, this is the perfect time to try out some homemade salsa. Recipes to follow soon.

the salsa drought

2005-07-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

Alas, woe is me! This town has no good salsa, other than what can be found at Mexican restaurants. Even the Mexican restaurants serve salsa mild enough for geriatrics. If I want to eat good, spicy, authentic Mexican salsa, I must grab the chance when I'm visiting family in Dallas.

I haven't been eating chips and salsa at home lately because I became frustrated after the last few poop-in-a-jar salsas I tried. The groceries nearest my home, Publix, Bruno's, Wal-Mart, and Piggly Wiggly, do not carry any salsas that are worth even a sniff. (Though I will give credit to Bruno's occasionally available Vincent's Market salsa, which is made in-house and sold in their deli department.)

I will have to be patient while awaiting the construction of a new Whole Foods Market in my city of residence. I tried a few salsas while visiting their New Orleans store and thought that Whole Foods has done a good job with product choices. In the meanwhile, I sent in a product request form to Fresh Market to request my favorite Jack's Special Medium.

Two Mamas, Inc. Salsa (Hot)

2005-06-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Texture: Somewhat chunky
Flavor: Mild Pace
Price: $2.99
Where purchased: Piggly Wiggly
Refrigeration: After opening
Website: No
Spiciness: 3
Grade: C

I found Two Mamas salsa in the snack aisle at Piggly Wiggly. I perused the label and found that the company that produces this salsa is located in Moulton, Alabama. This piqued my interest, and I hoped that the local ingredients and the small mom-and-pop enterprise would make a really good salsa. My fantasy continued on when I imagined that I will have found a new love and then unfortunately they cease operation, ripping one of life's hard-to-find pleasures away from me, while I cry in anguish.

Wrong.

I am afraid to be too critical because the proprietors live close enough to me that they could hunt me down. Oh, who cares? I was disappointed. The "hot" salsa translates to "mild", and yes there were "medium" and "mild" flavors also on the shelf, which makes me wonder what they mean by the word "hot".

Tomato quality is excellent. However, this salsa reminds me of Pace's mild salsa. There isn't anything it offers to differentiate it from its widely distributed competitors.

Valley of Mexico Fire Roasted Salsa (Medium)

2005-06-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

Texture: Fine
Flavor: Burnt tomatoes
Price: $4.99
Where purchased: The Fresh Market
Refrigeration: After opening
Website: Yes
Spiciness: 3
Grade: C+

I'm desperate to try new salsas, and Birmingham doesn't have much to offer. I stopped by the Fresh Market, a new upscale grocery that reminds me of Whole Foods, specifically for the purpose of finding a new salsa to try. While Whole Foods offers a wide selection of tantalizing salsas to choose from, Fresh Market has four or five jar salsas that one could find in any other average grocery store, including Wal-Mart. The only salsa I found that I haven't tried yet is Valley of Mexico Fire Roasted Salsa. I chose the Medium as a safe bet, even though I like very hot salsas.

The "Medium" is actually mild. Mexican style food companies are increasingly dumbing down the spiciness of salsa to accommodate sensitive American palates.

I'm not a big fan of roasted tomato salsas. This one tastes like burnt tomatoes. I think it might taste better over a pile of hot pasta.

Garden Fresh Gourmet Artichoke Garlic Salsa

2005-03-16T07:25:00.000-08:00

Texture: Very fine
Flavor: Garlicy
Price: N/A
Where purchased: N/A
Refrigeration: Yes
Website: Garden Fresh Gourmet
Spiciness: 3
Grade: B-

The kind folks at Garden Fresh Gourment sent me a tub of Artichoke Garlic salsa to try, so I'm not sure where it is available for purchase. Being consistent with our recent garlic-themed posts, I think this is a great time to review the Artichoke Garlic Salsa.

I like artichokes and garlic a lot, but I found this salsa a bit overpowering with the garlic and underpowering with the artichokes. Artichokes do not have a strong flavor, so the scant pieces that were mixed in with the salsa served as more of a visual decoration than anything else.

The salsa has a flavorful taste to it. It certainly isn't a boring salsa, though it is mild and acceptable for anyone who has a sensitive stomach. However, I brushed my teeth and gargled with mouthwash three times after eating the salsa in a futile attempt to get the garlic aftertaste out of my mouth. If you're planning on being near people after you eat this salsa, don't eat it.

If you absolutely mad about garlic, I think you will enjoy this salsa. I am going to stick with my personal favorite produced by Garden Fresh, Jack's Special Medium.

Try This At Home

2005-03-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

Maria at Garlicster has put up a garlicky green salsa recipe in our honour! It looks really good, I'm gonna try and make some this weekend if I can find some tomatillos. No more complaining about reviews of salsa you can't get...this one's as close as your blender. Speaking of blenders, maybe some lime and tequila would make it even better!

Rojo's Mild: You call this salsa?

2005-03-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

Texture: Chopped into small, tasteless chunks
Flavor: Cardboard
Price: Approximately $3.99
Where purchased: Safeway
Refrigeration: Yes
Website: N/A
Spiciness: 1
Grade: D

So I'm looking for salsa and can find nothing that looks familiar or interesting. No Jacks at all. I happen upon this stuff in a container and think, "Hey, Sugarmama reviewed that or, uh, I think she did cause it sounds familiar. Hell, if she reviewed it, then it's gotta be good." So I bought it. And tasted it. And realized why I remembered it. This stuff tastes like ass.

Oh man, it was awful. It's just bland, like they sucked all the life out of the tomatoes and onions and peppers and then packaged it. I think the plastic container would have had more taste. I ended up going outside and burying my tongue in the dirt just to get the taste out of my mouth.

If you're having a salsa craving and your only choice is between this stuff or the Pace/Frito-Lay crap, take a nap instead. It's just not worth spending the money.

Review by Howard

Garlic Goodness

2005-03-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

We interrupt the salsa talk to present Garlicster, a great site dedicated to my favorite bulb. Since most salsa fans also love garlic, you should go check out the ton of interesting garlic recipes they've collected (and they're always looking for more). Tell them the salsa people sent you!

Crack In A Box

2005-03-02T18:03:00.000-08:00

Garden Fresh Gourmet Cream Cheese & Salsa Dip
Texture: Creamy
Flavor: Medium
Price: N/A
Where purchased: N/A
Refrigeration: Yes
Website: www.gardenfreshsalsa.com
Spiciness: 4
Grade: A+

OK technically, this stuff isn't salsa, but it has salsa in it. Along with a TON of garlic, which I consider a good thing. It's whipped until it's fluffy, so that it's easy to dip or spread, and it's filled with small crunchy bits of garlic, onion, and peppers. The flavor is kind of like that Southern staple, cream cheese with pepper jelly on it, only without the sweetness. There's a little spiciness at first, that quickly fades into the creamy goodness. It's packaged in a nice plastic tub that is dishwasher safe, and they recommend reusing it.

Basically, this stuff is AWESOME! I dipped Wheat Thins in it instead of chips and became addicted right away. The garlic and the spice and the tang of the cream cheese all blend together so that no one flavor takes over, and they just mix wonderfully and dance around on your tongue. It's the perfect thing to have at a party, either as a dip, or spread on rolled-up flour tortillas to make pinwheels.

There was one thing that bothered me. As I was eating some yesterday, I looked down in the tub and saw something really bad. The bottom! I sure hope that the other dips that they sent me are as good, but this stuff will definitely be a hard act to follow.

Salsa Smackdown: Battle Birthday

2005-02-27T12:26:00.000-08:00

It didn't take me long to start sampling the salsas that Garden Fresh was kind enough to send me. Friday there was a little birthday thing at the office for a co-worker, so I took a couple of tubs of salsa to see how they fared head to head. Here are the contenders:

Jacks Special Salsa (Mild)
Texture: Chopped into small chunks
Flavor: Mild
Price: N/A
Where purchased: N/A
Refrigeration: Yes
Website: www.gardenfreshsalsa.com
Spiciness: 3
Grade: B-

If you love cilantro, this is the salsa for you. It was chock full of fresh cilantro leaves, with little or no heat. It was even mild enough for the kiddies, and goes great with taco salad. It's got everything that makes Jack's Medium the king, except for the spiciness. Which may be a drawback for some.

And in this corner;

Smokin' Jalapeno Salsa
Texture: Chopped into small chunks
Flavor: Medium
Price: N/A
Where purchased: N/A
Refrigeration: Yes
Website: www.gardenfreshsalsa.com
Spiciness: 5
Grade: A

This one is visibly different from the Jack's salsas. Red predominates, with lots of green jalapeno chunks to break up the monotony. There's hardly any cilantro, and there's an underlying smoky sweetness that sets this apart from most salsas. It's reminiscent of roasted red peppers. This salsa is a true medium, with just enough heat to keep your attention without burning your mouth.

The panel consisted of about 6 women and 4 men, and at the end of the competition there was a clear winner. While everyone raved about both contenders, one was completely devoured, while a little less than half of the loser remained uneaten. The clear favorite was the Smoky Jalapeno - I think the spiciness is what won everyone over. For me, mild salsa makes a better condiment than dip, and I think the panel agreed.