The post whore thread.

[Irving]

I know the answer, but you always get a different answer when you ask different people.

A fun thing is to find the direct translation of pico de gallo. If you just type it into a translator, it doesn't give you the actual translation.

[ChadAmberg]

Debate topic: What is the difference between pico de gallo and salsa?

Its consistency but pico is "always fresh never cooked" where I've found salsa to be more blenderized of course, but its often cooked.

[Irving]

Is pico de gallo considered to be salsa?

[William]

Yes, but I'm a gringo so my opinion doesn't count for much.

[buffalobo]

Maybe considered fresh salsa.

[Gman]

Salsa tends to be wet...like a sauce (that's what it means in Spanish). Pico is more like diced veggies.

[Irving]

So salsa just means sauce. So pico de gallo is salsa, but salsa isn't necessarily pico de gallo. Salsa can be all kinds of things and have all kinds of ingredients, textures, and levels of having been cooked. Pico de gallo is diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, maybe some peppers, salt, and maybe a citrus juice. Never cooked, and always chunky.

To cut to the chase, the literal translation of pico de gallo is "beak of the rooster" which is hilarious, and not really related to what it actually is. I asked my wife what the direct translation for pico de gallo was, and she just stared laughing, saying that no one has ever asked her, and she hasn't ever thought about it before.

I think I'm going to ask for a side of beak of the rooster at an authentic Mexican restaurant in the future and see how that goes.

[crays]

I would consider pico more of a relish than a salsa. YMMV

[Irving]

Interesting note. I haven't thought about a relish, but when I do, I think of something vinagery. Is that a relish requirement?

ETA:
Definition from Allrecipes:

Relish falls into the condiment category. It's a preserve that contains finely chopped vegetables, fruit, or sometimes both in a vinegar mixture. It's commonly used like a condiment, as a spread on sandwiches or stirred into sauces, but has a chunkier texture than a traditional condiment like ketchup or mustard.

[Great-Kazoo]

So salsa just means sauce. So pico de gallo is salsa, but salsa isn't necessarily pico de gallo. Salsa can be all kinds of things and have all kinds of ingredients, textures, and levels of having been cooked. Pico de gallo is diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, maybe some peppers, salt, and maybe a citrus juice. Never cooked, and always chunky.

To cut to the chase, the literal translation of pico de gallo is "beak of the rooster" which is hilarious, and not really related to what it actually is. I asked my wife what the direct translation for pico de gallo was, and she just stared laughing, saying that no one has ever asked her, and she hasn't ever thought about it before.

I think I'm going to ask for a side of beak of the rooster at an authentic Mexican restaurant in the future and see how that goes.

The difference & interpretation is like what is chili?

There's green, red, green & red sauce.

In parts of NM and AZ you ask for a steak, or burger smothered in green chili. You'll get diced green chilis on it.

In CO you'll get a CO style green.