Salsa’s popularity as the No. 1 condiment in the U.S. is old news. Pop into any store, and a quick look at the Incredibly Growing Salsa Aisle compared to the Hasn’t-Changed-Much-In-Two-Decades Ketchup Corner bears witness to the phenomenon.
We’ve been wanting to compare salsas for a while, but have been stymied by a major obstacle: These myriad brands have little in common besides tomatoes and salt.
So we took the best selection route we knew of, and a sadly generic route it was: We found seven brands of supermarket salsa that agreed they were “chunky” with medium heat. Five tasters sampled the salsas with baked tortilla chips.
La Victoria Thick ‘n Chunky won by a grande margin (though with a score of just 5), and was the only one to produce significant heat. Pace and Casa Mamita, Aldi’s house brand, took second and third, respectively.
Here are the results, with tasters’ remarks for the top three. The remaining salsas are listed in order of finish.
Products are scored on a scale of 1 to 9, with 9 being highest. Prices are based on what we paid for them at the market and may reflect sales or discounts from frequent-shopper cards.
And the winners are:
1. La Victoria Thick ‘N Chunky (16-ounce jar, $3.29; 21 cents per ounce. 5 points). “More complex than the others.” “Good flavor, with thick chunks and a nice chili kick that lingers.” “Strange off taste.”
2. Pace Chunky (16-ounce jar, $2.99; 19 cents per ounce. 4.1 points). “Crunchy and fresh tasting.” “Thick and textured.” “Flavor of cocktail sauce–disappointing.”
3. Casa Mamita Thick & Chunky (24-ounce jar, $1.49; 6 cents per ounce. 3.7 points). “Won’t drip easily, which is a plus.” “Would work well incorporated into recipes.” “Sweet tomato flavor overshadowed by metallic flavor.”
Also tasted:
4. Newman’s Own All Natural Chunky (3.4 points).
5. Old El Paso Thick ‘n Chunky (3.2).
6. Taco Bell Thick ‘n Chunky (2.8).
7. Chi-Chi’s Thick & Chunky Fiesta (2.5).
Do-it-yourself salsa
Because many of the bottled salsas disappointed tasters, we offer a recipe that is relatively quick to make, if not as fast as opening a jar. It’s adapted from “The Carefree Cook,” by Rick Rodgers (Broadway, $29.95): Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat; add 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1 teaspoon minced and seeded jalapeno and 1 chopped clove garlic. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 1 can (1 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid; heat to a boil. Cook, stirring often, until thick and juicy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cool. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. The salsa can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 5 days.
