Salsa verde

This article is about spicy Mexican salsa. For Italian and Spanish herb sauce, see Green sauce.

Salsa verde

Type	Green sauce
Place of origin	Mexico
Main ingredients	Tomatillo, chili pepper
Media: Salsa verde

Salsa verde (lit. 'green sauce') is a type of spicy, green sauce in Mexican cuisine based on tomatillo and green chili peppers.

The tomatillo-based Mexican salsa verde dates to the Aztec Empire, as documented by the Spanish physician Francisco Hernández, and is distinct from the various medieval European parsley-based green sauces.

In the cuisines of Mexico and the Southwestern United States, it is often served with Mexican or Tex-Mex style dishes like enchiladas and chicharrón (pork rinds). The version typical of New Mexico consists mostly of green chile rather than tomatillos.

Types

This green sauce comes in subtypes: cooked sauce, in which the ingredients are cooked and then ground; roasted salsa, in which the elements are roasted on a comal and then ground; raw sauce, in which ingredients are ground and eaten without cooking; and a combination in which some of the elements are cooked. A molcajete or a blender can be used for the grinding process. Cooking or roasting the tomatillo will enhance the flavor, providing a sweeter salsa. After the sauce is prepared, it can be cooked again in a pan with a little oil.

See also

• Green sauce
• Pipián (sauce), another Mexican green sauce

References

• Bayless, Rick; Mexico One Plate at a Time (2000); ISBN 978-0684841861
• Muñoz Zurita, Ricardo; Pequeño Larousee de la Gastronomía Mexicana (2013); ISBN 9786072107373