Salsa: the Dance and the Sauce!

The word Salsa can be defined into two main things, Latin America dance and a hot tomato based sauce.

First, let’s talk about the dance. The word “salsa” does mean “sauce” in Spanish, it is believed Salsa was being associated to the dance because like a good bowl of salsa, it contains a lot of heat and great elements.

The dance movement first started in Cuba in the 1800’s, with many forms such as Cha Cha Cha and Mambo, it travels through the Caribbean Islands which then take it further to the Latino communities in New York in the 1970s. The dance forms vary from two people standing in front of each other while focusing on the hip movement or two people circling intimately close to each other and one person leading their dance partner by confidently moving their hand on the other person’s hip or the small of their back.

Like many things in life, Salsa can be learnt and mastered but if you know that you are a person with two left feet it may be a bit of a challenge.

Now on to the Salsa that can literally cause heat to your body. This tomato based sauce is mostly known in Mexican cooking as a hot sauce that contains ingredients including, tomato, chilies, onion, beans and various herbs and spices. Salsa roja, picco de gallo or salsa fresca, salsa verde and mole are only a few types of salsa that are in Mexican cooking. The recipe below is a simple salsa roja or red salsa recipe that can be used as a dip for your corn chips or to be generously smothered on your tacos.

Photo Credit: food.fnr.sndimg.com
Ingredients
  • 5 plum tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 white onion, cut in quarters
  • 12 stalks of coriander
  • 2 serrano chilies, stem off
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 800 ml water

Method


  1. Add all of the ingredients except the coriander and salt to a pot
  2. Add just enough water to almost cover the ingredients (about 800 ml), bring to boil and simmer until the tomatoes, onion and garlic soften
  3. Blend all of the ingredients including the coriander with the cooking water
  4. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in the same pot over medium heat, pour in the blended salsa
  5. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, salt to taste

For the best of both worlds, head down to Aribar. Get yourself dancing with professional Salsa dancers every Saturday and devour great tacos or burrito with, of course, mouthwatering spicy salsa!






Aribar serving great Mexican food every day from 11.00 – 23.00.

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