Salsa Macha

This salsa is a great option if you want a condiment that adds rich flavor and texture but not too much heat. It was “smoky, not too spicy,” and had “a burnt fond quality to it,” as well as a deeply savory flavor. Some noted the “very deep roasted chile flavor,” which tasted “a little bitter” because of “thick ground chile paste.”

This slightly sweet and vinegary salsa macha adds fruitiness to dishes. It had a “jammier” texture and “thicker consistency” than the others, almost like “honey.” It had “no crunch,” unlike some other salsas we tasted. Flavorwise, tasters liked its “tomato-y” notes, noting that it was also “herby” and “very fruity,” most likely due to the addition of vinegar and tamarind. Despite some twinges of subtle heat, it remained mild with “pronounced earthiness” and the flavor of “olives” due to the use of olive oil.

This salsa struck a fine balance between sweet and savory, making it perfect for a wide range of applications, from eggs to pizzas. The “chunky” sauce had a “concentrated fruity sweetness of dried fruit” and also reminded tasters of “coffee and chocolate.” It had a “slow-building heat,” but the “cranberry” sweetness remained dominant. It was “chewy” and “a little crunchy.”

This salsa adds a balance of spicy, sweet, and savory flavors to various dishes, such as breakfast eggs and tacos. It had a lot of “whole seeds and nuts.” Unlike the majority of salsas in the lineup, it was olive oil–based, which tasters found “floral and fruity.” The morita chiles provided “a bit of smokiness.” Tasters noticed the “big chunks of fruit and chiles,” “pepitas,” and “the cranberries [that] add fruitiness and sweetness.”

This salsa macha had three types of dried chiles, including guajillo and chile ancho, both of which contributed pleasant “fruity,” “smoky,” and “lightly sweet” flavors. The chile de árbol added a bit of heat; tasters noted that this salsa was “spicy” with “peppery notes aside from just the spice.” There were “visible bits of fruits and nuts,” which gave the salsa a “chewy, nubby texture.”

Salsa seca is also known as salsa de semillas, which translates to “seeds sauce.” We liked that the roughly chopped nuts and seeds added a ton of “crunch,” making it ideal for tacos, eggs, and more. There were so many nuts and seeds, one taster compared it to a “spicy granola.” Flavorwise, its “smokiness” and “deeply umami flavors” balanced out the “pumpkin-y” “fruitiness” with “chili flavor.”

This salsa was "very earthy woodsy [and] smoky" thanks to the smoked morita peppers. The spice “comes in early, builds quickly, and lingers,” noted one taster. It had “chunks of dark nubby bits” of chopped peanuts and dried chiles that were “crunchy,” a texture favored by many tasters.

This nutty and crunchy salsa adds great texture to dishes. Tasters were charmed by the “earthy,” “smoky,” and “spicy” notes of this salsa, which also had “a touch of sweetness.” The nuts and seeds were “fried till perfectly crisp” and helped “round out the texture” of this “coarse” and “nubby” salsa.

This “smoky” and “roasty” salsa was “more finely textured” and “more of a paste” than others that still had big chunks of nuts and seeds. It had “robust,” “toasty,” and “roasted peppers” flavors, which would pair well with a wide variety of dishes. It was “dark in color” compared to some others but still “chewy with some crunch.”

This salsa can make a great addition to meat and seafood dishes thanks to its rich flavors. Tasters picked up “bay leaf” and “oregano” notes in this “herby” and “smoky” salsa, which was “dark in appearance,” like a “deep, dark, rich paste.” Some likened its smokiness to “liquid smoke,” which had hints of “resin” and “char” to it, alongside “mid-level spicy heat.”

This salsa is great for adding texture and flavor to eggs and other foods. It had a “hint of chipotle smokiness” and “whole pepitas and lots of sesame seeds,” which provided “crunch” and “intense earthiness and depth to the heat.” It wasn’t “too sweet” and reminded one taster of “chili crisp.” It had more oil than solid ingredients, which makes it great for drizzling on tacos.

This salsa had chile japones, a spicy variety that traveled from Mexico to Asia and back. Tasters were quick to pick up on the “cumin” notes, which set this salsa apart from the rest of the lineup. It was rounded and complex, tasting “garlicky,” “nutty,” and “sweet” with “very nice spiciness” and “toasty flavor” all at once. This savory, medium-heat salsa is a versatile pick.

This “spicy” salsa had a “nice back-of-the-throat burn,” a compliment from the spicy food lovers among our tasters. It contained lots of whole pepitas, which makes it great for adding not only flavor but also texture to dishes. The “piquant heat” and “sweetness” reminded some of “smoked paprika.” We loved its “roasty” and “earthy” flavors and “slightly citrusy” undertones. Its “pasty” texture achieved a good balance between “runny” and “thick.”

This salsa is great for adding a pop of spiciness and flavor to dishes. In addition to being quite “spicy,” this peanut-rich variety was “very . . . smoky,” “nutty,” “garlicky,” and “pleasantly fruity.” Tasters noted the “prominent but not overwhelming spice” and the "savory" and "sweet" flavor. The texture had a “nice crunch” with “huge pepper chunks.”

This salsa provides not only tingly heat but also rich depth of flavor, which is great for adding umami to almost everything. Tasters liked this “complex” and “rounded” salsa, praising its “chipotle smoky,” “fruity,” and “spicy but tolerable” flavors that contributed to a slow burn. It had large pieces of dried ingredients, for a texture that was simultaneously “chewy” and had a “nice crunch.”

This was unanimously rated as the spiciest salsa macha we tasted and adds a ton of heat to dishes. This bright red salsa was “perfectly crispy” texturewise and looked like “chile flakes in oil.” It was “seriously spicy,” and one taster noted, “it burns when it hits.” Other than the spiciness, tasters took note of the “sweet,” “smoky,” “light salt,” and “umami” flavors.