Mexican salsa — not a single preparation but a complete family of cold and warm condiment sauces — divides into three fundamentally different techniques: raw (salsa fresca/pico de gallo), roasted/charred (salsa tatemada), and cooked (salsa cocida). Each technique extracts a different flavour architecture from the same tomatoes and chillies.
**Salsa fresca (raw):** - Tomato, white onion, serrano or jalapeño chilli, cilantro, lime, salt — chopped to a rough, uneven texture. - The acid from the tomato and lime prevents rapid browning. - Made fresh and used within 2 hours — the volatile aromatic compounds in cilantro and chilli dissipate rapidly. **Salsa tatemada (roasted/charred):** - Tomatoes, chillies, onion, and garlic placed directly on a dry comal (iron griddle) or under a broiler until deeply charred on the exterior — sometimes completely blackened. - The char produces specific Maillard compounds; the charred skins add a smokiness absent from raw or cooked salsa. - Charred ingredients blended (skins included) to a rough or smooth consistency — the black flecks of charred skin are visible in the finished salsa. **Salsa cocida (cooked):** - Tomatoes and chillies simmered in water until soft, then blended and fried in a small amount of oil until the salsa "dries" and concentrates. Identical to the Indian si byan principle — the oil separation is the completion signal.
Mexico: The Cookbook