Salsa is almost as important to the Latino culture as chutney is to East Indian communities. North Americans, slow to
cultivate “ethnic” food, seem to be adapting more to salsa than chutney lately. Basically each is a healthy, savory relish, or side, served to compliment certain other foods prepared for family meals. See Foodsite Magazine’s article, BUILD YOUR OWN CHUTNEY for similarities.
To generalize, it is probably safe to say Indians lean more strongly on much more spicing, while the Latin community uses some spices and many variations of hot chile pepper with less variation in vegetables or fruits. The making of of a sauce by combining chiles, and other ingredients like squash seeds and even beans into a tomato base, has been traced back to the Aztec culture. Continue reading