Pico de gallo — raw salsa fresca

Mexico — pan-regional, though the name is most associated with Norther Mexico and Tex-Mex cookery. Raw tomato salsa preparations are documented throughout Mexico under various regional names.

Pico de gallo (literally beak of the rooster — a name whose origin is debated; possibly referring to the pecking motion of dicing or to the appearance) is the raw, uncooked tomato salsa of Mexico — tomatoes, white onion, fresh jalapeño or serrano, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. The technique is entirely in the knife work and timing: all ingredients must be cut to a uniform small dice (approximately 5–6mm), and the salsa must be prepared as close to service as possible. The critical technique is salt management: salt draws water from the tomatoes through osmosis, creating a watery, diluted salsa within 20 minutes of preparation. Two approaches: (1) prepare and serve immediately for the freshest, brightest flavour; (2) salt the diced tomatoes separately, drain off the expressed water, then combine with the other ingredients for a salsa that holds better. The tomato-to-onion-to-chile-to-cilantro ratio is the stylistic signature — some preparations are tomato-dominant and mild; others feature equal volumes of all four components.

At its best, pico de gallo is a celebration of ripe tomato: the sweetness and acidity of the raw fruit is amplified by lime, balanced by the sharpness of raw onion and the heat of fresh chile, and brightened by cilantro.