Taste Test: Salsa

Welcome to Gifts & Dec's first taste test, in which our editors sample random selections from a particular gourmet product category. The results, we hope, will assist you in choosing a product that's right for your store. For our first taste test, we chose an item that is found in the gourmet markets in abundance: salsa. Ever since the savory sauce replaced ketchup as America's number one condiment in 1992, a multitude of varieties have sprung up, including verde, tomatillo, chipotle, mango, black bean, habañero, and raspberry, to name just a few. In addition to being flavorful and versatile, salsas tend to be low in fat (all of the ones we tried are fat-free) and good sources of vitamins C and A, iron, and fiber. While it would be nearly impossible (though very delicious) to try every available offering, our editorial staff sampled five varieties to provide a tempting taste of what's out there.

Company: Goldwater's Foods of Arizona

Background: Company was cofounded by Carolyn Ross, the granddaughter of U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater. She credits her aunt Peggy Goldwater Clay with coming up with the idea for the pineapple salsa, which was introduced in 1990. "There hadn't been a fruit salsa available on the market until then. Now even Paul Newman has one," president Ross comments.

Salsa Details: Took top honors at the Fiery Foods Challenge and also at competitions held by Food Distribution magazine and the American Royal Academy of Barbecue. It's made in small batches from all-natural, fresh ingredients; no preservatives, oils, or artificial additives are used.

Color: Burnt red with green and orange vegetable accents.

Smell: Strong spicy scent, with one editor picking up a very slight hint of pineapple.

Consistency: Chunky, hearty, and well blended, it generally stays together without water seepage.

Taste: Depending on what you bite into, this subtle salsa is by turns sweet, spicy, fruity, and pungent, with pineapple, pepper, and onion notes. "Sweet but with a hint of tang," one editor noted.

Strength: Mild. "More sweet with mild spice accents — chili, cumin," stated one editor, while another said: "Very wild as salsas go. You can tell it's fruity."

Aftertaste: A very mild procession of pineapple, then peppers, then tomato, but it doesn't linger too long.

Packaging: Most of the editors liked the packaging, although not all felt that it adequately described the taste sensation.

Serving Suggestions: According to the label, it can be poured over baked potato, chicken, or fish; stirred into lowfat yogurt or sour cream for dips; mixed with pasta, potatoes, rice, beans, or cottage cheese; and served with omelettes, fajitas, burritos, fresh vegetables, tortilla chips, and grilled meats.

Overall Impressions: Those that liked it, adored it, commenting that they could eat it all day, or night.

Specs: Paradise Pineapple Salsa. 12-oz. jar. $4.50– $5.50. Goldwater's Foods of Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ. (800) 488-4932. #461

Company: Robert Rothschild Berry Farm

Background: This company manufactures a complete line of gourmet products in its 35,000-square-foot facility located on a 170-acre working farm in Urbana, Ohio.

Salsa Details: Winner of First Place at the 2001 Fiery Food Challenge in the Salsa Fruit category, this variety contains raspberry vinegar, tomatoes, jalepeño peppers, red chile peppers, onions, and spices.

Color: Deep dark red.

Smell: Like a hot ketchup.

Consistency: Smooth with seeds and flecks of peppers.

Taste: The initial taste is sweet, with a faint hint of raspberries. Then the jalepeños kick in "strong enough to make your nose run."

Strength: Medium to strong.

Aftertaste: "It has one those aftertastes that builds in hotness and makes your eyes water a minute later."

Packaging: Mixed feelings as to whether the packaging describes the taste sensation, but nearly all the editors felt it conveyed an upscale, subtle image.

Serving Suggestions: According to the label, baste on meat or fresh vegetables. Blend with cream cheese, add cocktail shrimp, and serve with crackers.

Overall Impressions: More like a barbecue sauce than a salsa.

Specs: Fiery Raspberry Salsa. 8-oz. jar. $6.50. Robert Rothschild Berry Farm, Urbana, OH. (937) 653-7397. #462

Company: American Spoon Foods

Background: This Northern Michigan company has been preserving flavorful fruits, nuts, and spices for 20 years.

Salsa Details: Chef Chris Chickering's Cherry Peach Salsa combines whole Montmorency cherries, Red Haven peaches, roasted sweet yellow peppers, onions, herbs, and spices for a balance of heat, sweetness, and acidity.

Color: Orange with big chunks.

Smell: A distinct chili smell with a slight peach aroma.

Consistency: Chunks of peaches and whole cherries in a watery sauce.

Taste: By turns sweet, fruity, and spicy. "The fruity sweetness is deceiving once the spicy pepper burn sets in," one editor commented.

Strength: Mild to medium.

Aftertaste: Opinions differed as to whether it was fruity or hot.

Packaging: The homey label definitely conveys the fruitiness, but not necessarily the heat.

Serving Suggestions: The company's Web site, www.spoon.com, provides a recipe for cherry peach chicken.

Overall Impressions: Will appeal to those with a sweet tooth, providing a twist on the classic salsa taste.

Specs: Cherry Peach Salsa. 13-oz. jar. $6.95. American Spoon Foods, Petosky, MI. (800) 220-5886. #463

Company: The El Paso Chile Company

Background: This nearly 20-year-old company creates salsas, barbecue sauces, mustards, marinades, and more, featuring the bold, authentic flavors of the U.S.-Mexican border.

Salsa Details: Salsa Borracho ("macho salsa" to gringos) is has a splash of 100 percent blue agave Tequila Nacional "for an added shot of machismo."

Color: Red with vegetable accents of green, orange, and yellow.

Smell: Smoky and musky. "Believe it or not, it smells macho — much onion, hint of alcohol," one editor stated.

Consistency: Watery but very chunky in spots, with onion, peppers, corn, and tomatoes prominent. One editor found it, "almost more like a soup than a salsa."

Taste: Both pungent and spicy, with a hint of sweetness from the corn.

Strength: Most felt it was mild, but one editor found it hot, with a smoky fierce hotness that "sneaks up on you."

Aftertaste: Some sensed a "muskiness," perhaps from the tequila; others tasted spicy tomato or chili pepper.

Packaging: The label uses Mexican iconography, and was described as eye-catching as well as "fun," "naïve," "authentic," "artistic," and "inventive."

Overall Impressions: A good all-round salsa that's nearly "hearty enough to be a meal in itself."

Specs: Salsa Borracho. 16-oz. jar. $6. El Paso Chile Co., El Paso, TX. (888) 4-SALSAS. #464