salsa
sauce, Mexico
In Mexico salsa means a sauce, usually a spicy one served with food. The word is the same in English, but in Mexico it is a table sauce first and a dance second. It is also called salsa roja and salsa verde.
Meaning: sauce (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| salsa | sauce, Mexico |
| salsa roja | red sauce |
| salsa verde | green sauce |
Restaurants bring salsa roja or salsa verde with chips or tacos. People ask ¿tiene salsa? to mean "do you have hot sauce?"
Which one should you use?
The dance and music called salsa are also called salsa in Spanish. Context makes the meaning clear.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Many Mexican households make salsa in a molcajete, a stone mortar, with chiles, tomato and onion.
Did you know?
- In Spanish salsa simply means "sauce", which is why the same word is used for tomato sauce on pasta.
Examples in context
- ¿Me trae más salsa, por favor?Could you bring me more salsa, please?
- La salsa verde pica mucho.The green salsa is very hot.
- Mi mamá hace la salsa en molcajete.My mom makes the salsa in a molcajete.
Example conversation
Pablo and Elisa order tacos at a street stand in Mexico City.
- PabloCuatro tacos de pastor, por favor.Four al pastor tacos, please.
- Taquero¿Con salsa roja o verde?With red or green sauce?
- ElisaVerde, pero que no pique mucho.Green, but not too hot.
