Salsa brings spice, nutrients to the table

TEMPE — For decades, ketchup’s reign as the delicacy-of-the-moment seemed secure amidst piles of hamburgers, hot dogs, hash browns and potatoes.

But in 2000, a cousin staged a tomato-y coup d’ etat by offering more flavor with less ingredients that had more health benefits.

“Salsa adds a good kick of flavor to whatever you’re eating,” says salsa chef Lupita Lopez. “The benefits of the tomatoes are your health bonus.”

Lopez’s recipes were among 100 entries in the 2008 My Nana’s Salsa Challenge held April 26 on the shores of Tempe Town Lake.

The competition featured about 1,300 gallons of salsa, about 3,000 pounds of chips, and hundreds of salsa-eating fanatics who stopped by for a dip.

“All I know is that jalapeños may be good for your heart, but that’s about it,” independent salsa chef and challenge contestant Dana Lespron says. “Right now, flavor is first. My motto: A fusion of flavor with an explosion of heat. The taste is definitely my priority.”

Salsa’s lineage can be traced back to the tables of the ancient Aztecs, Mayans and Incan Indian tribes of Central and South America. Over time, tomatoes and chili peppers made their way north to Mexico.

That’s where the Spanish conquerors are believed to have had their first taste of salsa. They used it as a condiment to spice up turkey and fish dishes. In 1571, the word salsa was introduced into the Spanish language. In English, it means “sauce.”

It swept into the United States sometime after the 1940s. Today, contests such as the one of the banks of Tempe Town Lake celebrate this spicy, healthy condiment.

Many of the salsa competitors seemed unaware of the list of ingredients in their recipes that were beneficial to their health.

Tomatoes, the base of any salsa, contain beneficial amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium. The red pigment in the tomatoes comes from lycopene, which, with enough servings, can cut the risks of prostate cancer and stomach cancers.

Onions were another common ingredient in the contestants’ recipes. Onions are often suggested for relief in treating coughs, colds, asthma and bronchitis. They have sulfides that are similar to those in garlic and help lower blood pressure and counts for complex fat molecules in the blood itself.

Other fruits and vegetables in salsa can supply antioxidant vitamins, natural phytochemicals, and mineral potassium to protect against disease. Chiles and other fresh fruits and vegetables, for example are typically high in vitamins and low in sodium and calories.

Salsa geeks should know there’s more to their favorite condiment than flavor.

“My secret ingredient? I don’t know if I have one,” says Cameron Jalla, an independent salsa chef sponsored by Walgreens. “I’m not too sure how many other people use it, but I put olive oil in my salsa today. But everything I add is aimed for taste, definitely.”

Olive oil is the only vegetable oil that can be consumed as-is after it is freshly pressed. Olive oil can have beneficial health effects due to the monosaturated fatty acids (which can be helpful in lowering “bad” cholesterol counts) and antioxidants. It is linked with a reduction in risks with coronary heart disease.

Yet salsa chefs insist their product stands on taste alone.

“All depending on what you put in your salsa, I know a lot of ingredients might help with heart disease and sometimes cardiovascular issues,” says Lori Roberson, another independent salsa chef and challenge contestant. “Still, the taste beats any other condiment…especially my salsa.”

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