Salsa and Chips

History of Chips and Salsa

Salsa first originated from the native Indians of the Americas: the Incas, the Mayans, and the Aztecs. The Spanish, had never seen a tomato until around 1519-1521 when the Spanish conquistadors came to take over. The combination (sauce) was made of tomatoes combined with chili peppers and ground squash seeds. The Indians served the sauce as a topping to various items such as turkey. The term “salsa” was used for naming the mixture.

Tortilla chips were invented in the late 1940’s in Los Angeles. But, they are still considered to be a Mexican food. A woman named Rebecca Webb Carranza invented it as a way to use misshapen tortillas. She discovered that when she cut them into triangles and fried them, that people thought that they were a yummy snack. During the year 1994, she was given a golden tortilla, a gift to her contribution to Mexican food.

Tortilla chip ingredients:

Yellow corn, white corn flour, blue cornmeal, Coarse masa is used. (It is made up of corn that has been soaked by a lime and water so that the hulls are broken down. The kernels are then grounded into flour.) Frying oil, salt, and preferred seasonings complete the main list of ingredients. Preservatives are used to increase shelf life.

Salsa: Salsa is made with many ingredients such as: tomatoes, chili peppers onion, garlic, fruits, and certain spices. There are many types of salsa for different occasions. Some salsa consists of cooked ingredients and some with raw ingredients. It is really up to the cook to determine how the salsa will be used and what it is made of.