Unless you’re making them from scratch, most operators don’t give their salsas much thought. It’s understandable, of course. You’ve got a lot on your plate (pun intended) and the salsas you currently use do the job well enough.
That said, what if they could be more?
What if — by utilizing distinct and on-trend flavors — you could elevate your dishes and charge a premium? What if your salsas could deliver more creative inspiration back of house? We believe rethinking this seemingly ordinary ingredient could have a big impact on your apps, entrees and check sizes. Why? Let’s dig in by starting with the basics.
The Power of a Really Good Salsa
To better understand salsa’s role in Mexican cooking, we checked in with David Hernandez, Senior R&D Manager and trained chef. He grew up watching his mom and grandma create authentic meals in their family kitchen.
“The ingredient that brought everything together, the one thing every and any meal couldn’t be without was the SALSA. Breakfast, lunch or dinner — it didn’t matter. The salsa was and still is one of the most important parts of a meal.”
Using salsa across multiple dayparts and dishes — traditional Mexican and beyond — isn’t new to the foodservice world. But seeing the influence it can have over each and every application, well, it got us thinking about just how impressive this ingredient can be.
“Salsa gives character and personality to the blandest of foods. It even enhances the dishes we already thought were amazing and takes them to the next level.”
Clearly, it’s going to take more than the average salsa offering to elevate everyday apps and entrees, yet the power of a really good salsa is often overlooked. And that means you could be leaving money on the table.
The Profit Possibilities
Chips and salsa are standard fare across menus for good reason. Diners love them and you can prep and serve them with very little effort. Win win. But, elevate your salsa and not only can you serve up a flight of deliciously complex flavors, you can charge a premium.
Elevated salsas can transform any sauce, entrée or sharable. Use them to flavor up burgers, flatbreads or anything else on your menu and take advantage of some serious profit potential.
Trending Salsa Flavors
The next big thing in salsa is the complex charred flavor that comes from slow charring tomatoes and peppers over an open flame. In fact, conversations around ‘burnt’ salsa are trending on social media right now, growing 122% in the past year.1
Why are people so invested? Here’s what we think is going on. When foods are cooked over an open flame, their surface undergoes what’s known as the Maillard Reaction, which makes them taste more savory and indulgent.2 Dan Burrows, consulting chef for MegaMex Foods, notes that charring can amplify the natural flavors in vegetables and proteins by creating an irresistible umami flavor.
He also points out the only downside is that this process can complicate prep work for kitchen teams. In part because charring requires patience and dedication to produce the perfect coating on each ingredient.
Lucky for you, that’s where we come in.
Elevated Salsas CAN Come Premade
Meet the newest addition to our authentic offerings: HERDEZ® Quemada Charred Salsas. Four distinctly elevated salsas developed by David Hernandez, Senior R&D Manager and trained chef. Each deliciously charred flavor was inspired by his childhood experiences in the kitchen.
“I always loved to watch the roasting of the ingredients. The popping of the blistering poblanos and tomatillos over the stove, sometimes over direct fire to get more char.”
This scratch-made quality is exactly what you’ll find in our new salsas. Deep and visible char. Unexpectedly bold flavors. Perfectly crafted ingredients that will transform any dish. And all the prep it takes is the simple twist of a cap.
Want to step up your salsa game? Partner with us and we can help make it a little easier. All MegaMex Foods ingredients are authentically and thoughtfully crafted to save you time and labor without sacrificing quality.
1Tastewise, 2024
2PBS, 2023
