The history of Salsa sauce originated with the Inca people. Salsa (a combination of chiles, tomatoes, and other spices) dates back to the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas. The Spanish first encountered tomatoes after the conquest of Mexico in 1519-1521, marking the beginning of the history of Salsa sauce. Aztec lords combined tomatoes with chili peppers, ground pumpkin seeds, and consumed them primarily as a condiment served on turkey, venison, lobster, and fish. This combination was later called salsa by Alonso de Molina in 1571.
Charles E. Erath of New Orleans was the first person in salsa history who began making Louisiana pepper extract, fiery Creole pepper sauce in 1916. A year later, La Victoria Foods started Salsa Brava in Los Angeles.
In Louisiana, in 1923, Baumer Foods began making Crystal Hot Sauce and in 1928 Bruce Foods began making Original Louisiana Hot Sauce, two brands of hot sauce that are still around today.
In 1941, Henry Tanklage formed the La Victoria Sales Company to market a new line of La Victoria sauce. He introduced red and green sauces for tacos and enchiladas, the first hot sauces in the United States. He took over the entire La Victoria operation in 1946, which makes ten different hot sauces that now cover the entire salsa spectrum, including green chili sauce and red jalapeño sauce.
According to the history of hot sauce, sauce making in Texas began in 1947 with David and Margaret Pace and their hot sauce. In 1952, La Victoria Foods introduced the first commercial taco sauce in the United States and in 1955, La Preferida launched a line of sauces.
In 1975 Patti Swidler of Arizona released Desert Rose Salsa. Four years later, in Austin, Texas, Dan Jardine began producing Jardine’s Commercial Sauce, giving Austin the reputation in Salsa Sauce history as the Hot Sauce Capital of America. Another Texas company, the El Paso Chili Company, was founded in 1980 by Norma and W. Park Kerr. In 1986, Miguel’s Stowe Away in Vermont launched a line of sauces and in April 1986, Sauces & Sauces Ltd. began manufacturing the Montezuma brand of hot sauces and sauces in Ohio.
Between 1985 and 1990, sales of salsa mexicana grew seventy-nine percent; between 1988 and 1992, the percentage of American households buying salsa increased from 16 to 36. By 1992, the top eight salsa makers in salsa history were Pace, Old El Paso, Frito-Lay, Chi-Chi’s, La Victoria, Ortega, Herdez and Newman’s Own. By 1993, competition from smaller salsa companies was so fierce that Pace, Old El Paso and six other brands saw sales in Texas drop by three percent.
The big news in 1994 was the purchase of two of the largest companies in the Fiery food industry. The number one sauce maker, Pace Foods, was sold to the Campbell Soup Company for a staggering $1.1 billion.
Some of the best sauces ever produced in the history of Salsa Sauce
The Jose Goldstein Artichoke and Garlic Sauce contains artichokes from Spain with the delicious garlic from California. A sure hit with a bag of chips or your favorite meat. Great on pasta too!
La Paloma Hot Salsa and La Paloma Mild Salsa are the best of their kind. Once you taste the fresh and robust flavor of La Paloma Salsa, you will be hooked.
Scorned Woman Salsa won 1st place in Fancy Food Magazine’s Hot & Spicy Food Show in 1997.
