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Any Meal Is Better With A Salsa Beat
In the worlds of food and dance, salsa means spice - often, the hotter the better.
Since the Mexicans thought up salsa (the food), it has taken a strong hold north of the border.
In the U.S., the ubiquitous sauce has replaced ketchup as the best-selling condiment. Salsa - "sauce"
in Spanish - can be enjoyed at many points of a meal. Fresh fruit and vegetable salsas with tortilla
chips are popular appetizers. With main courses, salsas are served as condiments or toppings. Many
people use the sauces as an alternative seasoning to salt and pepper.
Salsas can be chunky or smooth, thin or thick, hot or mild and just about any color. The variety is
endless. Since they are generally made without oil, contain no fat or cholesterol and have relatively
few calories, salsas are a healthful way to spice up any meal.
A huge variety of commercial salsas are available in supermarkets, and some are quite good. When buying
salsa, look for those without starch, sugar, or preservatives. Unopened, they can be stored at room
temperature for up to six months. Once opened, they can stay in the refrigerator for a month.
Fresh salsas are often found in a market's refrigerated section. They should be tightly covered and
may be refrigerated up to five days.
In the summer, salsas are easy to make with local produce. In colder months, canned fruits and vegetables
can be used. Improvements in processing have given canned fruits better color, texture and shelf-life.
The tropical salsa is a good complement
to poultry, pork, or fish. Once considered exotic, mangoes are now found in most supermarkets. The cilantro
provides a complementary spark to the mellow flavor of the mango.
Source: American Institute for Cancer Research
AICR offers a Nutrition Hotline (1-800-843-8114) Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET,
a free service that allows you to ask a registered dietitian questions about diet, nutrition and cancer.
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