Mary & Riley wrote: > > Hi Heads, > > Mary ran across some good pico de gallo the other day. Think this is the > original, Mexican powder style, as opposed to the (Americanized) salsa type? > Made by Via Nueva in LA. www.vianueva.com The only other "pico de gallo" > I've had was in Mexican restaurants and was basically a salsa. This powder > is "Salt and Mixed Hot Chili Peppers". The "Pico de Gallo" from Via Nueva is actually a spice blend to be served WITH pico de gallo. In northern Mexico and the southwest U.S, pico de gallo is usually served as a salsa fresca made with coarsely chopped onion, tomato and fresh chiles. Go further south and deeper into Mexico, and you'll find pico de gallo made from bite size pieces of fruit and veggie, typically orange and jicama. Salt and ground chiles are served in bowls or shakers on the side to be sprinkled on the fruit and veggies to individual discretion. According to one of my old (1970s era) Mexican cookbooks, the term "pico de gallo" translates as "roosters beak" and is meant to be a description of how the pieces of fruit and veggie are usually eaten...picked up with the thumb and pointer finger like a chicken pecking at kernels of corn on the ground. I find the "Pico de Gallo" from Via Nueva to be a bit too salty. Look at the ingredient list on the label: Salt, Mixed Hot Chili Peppers. I usually remove some of the salt and ground chile blend from the plastic shaker and replace it with plain ground chiles to cut the saltiness. Or, I sometimes make my own by grinding coarse salt (usually Morton's kosher salt) in a spice grinder to fine grind consistency and mixing with my choice of ground chiles to suit my taste. -- Rich McCormack (Poway, CA) macknet@pacbell.net Who is Rich McCormack? Find out at... http://home.pacbell.net/macknet/