I’m betting most everyone appreciates a good salsa. That term covers a lot of ground even when I exclude the term applied to a variety of Mexican music — which I am excluding in this food thread.

This definition from Wikileaks seems about right —

Salsa is the Spanish word for "sauce".. In English, especially in the United States, when the word "salsa" is used, it refers to the spicy tomato-and-chili-based preparation found in Mexican, Texan, Central American and South American cuisine.It is commonly used as a dip alongside tortilla chips, or as a condiment served along with dishes such as huevos rancheros or burritos.

My favorite is my version made from scratch from ripe tomatoes out of my garden with acidy tomatoes and diced jalapeño & serrano peppers, cilantro, lime, garlic plus the secret ingredient tipped to me by one of my old house keepers, salt-free granulated chicken bullion. But, since I don’t grow tomatoes anymore, I am talking primarily about store-bought salsa here. Feel free to supply your recipe, but I am wondering what brands of salsa fit your fancy. My longtime favorite is Herdez Salsa Casera, yet there are a lot of salsas on the salsa shelf at the grocery store, some I’ve tried, but many I have not. Herdez is made in Mexico and has that acidy tang I prefer with the right chunkiness. One ingredient I have found that is a turnoff for my tastes in salsa is sugar. If it has sugar in any form, I skip it, including various fruit concoctions that end up tasting more like chutney to me.

So, what is your favorite?