The history of Salsa sauce originated with the Inca people. Salsa
(combination of chilies, tomatoes and other spices) can be traced to
the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas. The Spaniards first encountered tomatoes
after their conquest of Mexico in 1519-1521, which marked the beginning
of the history of Salsa sauce. Aztec lords combined tomatoes with chili
peppers, ground squash seeds and consumed them mainly as a condiment
served on turkey, venison, lobster, and fish. This combination was
subsequently called salsa by Alonso de Molina in 1571.
Charles E. Erath of New Orleans was the first person in salsa sauce
history who began manufacturing Extract of Louisiana Pepper, Red Hot
Creole Peppersauce in 1916. A year later, La Victoria Foods started
Salsa Brava in Los Angeles.
In Louisiana in 1923, Baumer Foods began manufacturing Crystal Hot
Sauce and in 1928 Bruce Foods started making Original Louisiana Hot
Sauce - two salsa sauce brands that are still in existence.
In 1941, Henry Tanklage formed La Victoria Sales Company to market a
new La Victoria salsa line. He introduced red and green taco, and
enchilada sauces - the first of salsa hot sauces in US. He took over
the entire La Victoria operation in 1946, which manufactures ten
different hot sauces now covering the entire salsa spectrum, including
Green Chili Salsa and Red Salsa Jalapeña.
According to the hot sauce history, salsa manufacturing in Texas began
in 1947 with David and Margaret Pace and their picante sauce. In 1952,
La Victoria Foods introduced the first commercial taco sauce in US and
in 1955, La Preferida launched a line of salsas.
In 1975, Patti Swidler of Arizona launched Desert Rose Salsa. Four
years later, in Austin (Texas), Dan Jardine began producing Jardine's
commercial salsa, giving Austin the reputation in the history of Salsa
Sauce as the hot sauce capital of America. Another Texas company, the
El Paso Chili Company, was started in 1980 by Norma and W. Park Kerr.
In 1986, Miguel's Stowe Away in Vermont launched a salsa line and in
April, 1986, Sauces & Salsas Ltd. began manufacturing the Montezuma
brand of hot pepper sauces and salsas in Ohio.
Between 1985 and 1990, Mexican sauce sales grew seventy-nine percent;
between 1988 and 1992, the percentage of American households buying
salsa increased from 16 to 36. By 1992, the top eight salsa
manufacturers in the history of salsa sauce were Pace, Old El Paso,
Frito-Lay, Chi-Chi's, La Victoria, Ortega, Herdez, and Newman's Own. By
1993, competition from smaller salsa companies was so fierce that Pace,
Old El Paso, and six other brands saw Texas sales decline three percent.
The big news in 1994 was the buy out of two of the largest companies in
the Fiery Foods Industry. Numero Uno salsa manufacturer, Pace Foods,
was sold to Campbell Soup Company for an astronomical USD1.1 billion.
Some of the best sauces ever produced in the history of Salsa Sauce
Jose Goldstein Artichoke Garlic Salsa contains artichokes from Spain
with mouth-watering California garlic. A sure hit with a bag of chips
or your favorite meat. Great on pasta too!
La Paloma Hot Salsa and La Paloma Mild Salsa are the best of its kind.
Once you savor the fresh, robust flavor of La Paloma Salsa, you'll be
hooked.
Scorned Woman Salsa has won the 1st Place in Fancy Food Magazine’s Hot & Spicy Food Show in 1997.
Author Biography
History Of Salsa Sauce – The Mexican Connection By Chris McCarthy
Chris McCarthy is the owner of InsaneChicken's Hot Sauce and BBQ Sauce Catalog. www.InsaneChicken.com also has a large selection of salsas.
