The Best Salsa Macha!

Let’s be honest I have a salsa for every occasion but this salsa macha doubles as a daily condiment that is always within reach in my kitchen. In fact I’ve shared MANY jars of this sauce with friends and family. It’s that good! This is an oil based sauce that imparts incredible smokey, nutty and savory flavor. With a blend of dried chilies ranging from mild to spicy. This salsa offers more than a kick of heat; it’s a flavor explosion. Keep reading to find out my secret ingredient (*hint it takes 9 months to grow!) Essential in this salsa for nuttiness and texture are pepitas, peanuts and sesame seeds. This salsa has a million and one uses and enhances every dish, from topping your avocado toast, quesadillas, fried eggs to even birria and snacks like Mexican street corn. Use this on any of your favorite dishes that need to crank up the flavor and heat. Trust me if you like spicy sauces this one’s for you let me show you how easy it is to whip together.

I scoured the internet trying to learn more about the origins of salsa macha and it’s still unclear if the name Salsa Macha was adopted from the word ‘Machacar” which means to “crush”. This gives honor to how the recipe was elaborated in it’s early days or if it’s named after the feminine form of the word “Macho” which translates to “brave or tough” pointing towards the intensity and heat of some of the Salsa macha recipes. Whatever the case may be they both certainly seem fitting! Its early origins in Veracruz gave birth to the spread and customization of this sought after salsa all throughout Mexico and even the world, each with their own flare and unique additions. Chili crisp oil is a close cousin to this sauce although the preparation is quite similar the ingredients differ and have more of an Asian fusion with the addition of soy sauce, sugar and various spices. They’re both incredibly delicious but very different in taste. You can say salsa macha is the Mexican version of chili crisp oil.

Heat is an important component of every salsa macha recipe. My recipe incorporates a blend of three dry chilis; chile de Arbol, Guajillo and Ancho. This blend offers just the right amount of heat and complex flavor without being overwhelmingly burn your mouth spicy as some salsa macha recipes can be. Although you can definitely tone the level up or down by adding or removing chiles de arbol which are the ones bringing the heat to the party! In terms of heat I would say this is a 7/10. You can also customize the blend of chiles to your liking as long as they are dried it will work for this recipe.

What makes this the best Salsa Macha?

Let’s talk about my secret ingredient that this salsa Macha recipe just can’t do without. Earlier I gave you guys a hint, this vegetable takes 9 months to grow. If you guessed garlic…then you are correct! Salsa Macha typically includes garlic in the ingredient list but usually in very small quantities (for my liking!) My recipe goes heavy on the garlic, because there’s no such thing as too much garlic. The flavor that fried garlic brings is what differentiates it from other recipes. All the ingredients work beautifully together and even though it’s a lot of garlic it’s not over-powering. I’ve had people that don’t like garlic thoroughly enjoy this salsa Macha recipe. Frying the garlic transforms it from pungent to sweet, buttery, nutty and releases all the right notes.

Back in May I had the pleasure of attending an Agritour with the awesome team over at CA GROWN. The tours are basically the field trip of my dreams! We get to see and explore the behind the scenes of various farm operations and eat deliciously prepared food , made with locally grown ingredients. All while hanging out with some amazing people like fellow gardeners ,food bloggers, influential people in AG, even Karen Ross the California Secretary of Food & Agriculture. (like WHAT?) I’ll tell you what I’m always beyond grateful to attend these and learn so much about how our food is grown here in California. The team puts an incredible itinerary together which is always informative and so much fun!

This CA GROWN Agritour was centered around the Santa Cruz- San Benito Counties.

Did you know 93% of farms in California are family owned?

Another one of our stops was visiting the garlic capital of the world; Gilroy, where the family owned Christopher ranch has been growing their flavorful heirloom garlic for over 60 years. I grew up in San Benito county and had driven past the facility many many times. Garlic aroma fills the air as you drive through HWY 101 & HWY 25, it was impressive to tour the facility and see how the garlic is processed and prepped before hitting the shelves of our local supermarkets. The garlic goes through close up inspection with the help of many hands and technology. Christopher ranch is always innovating to better their systems. One clear example is their one of a kind Industrial air peeler where compressed air is all it takes to peel thousands of pounds of garlic quickly and efficiently. They are taking time to innovate in the field as well as the facility. California farmers produce over 400 million pounds of garlic each year!

We also got to set foot on the vast fields growing this beloved crop, 17 acres to be exact that would yield approximately 250,000 lbs. of the good stuff! With such a long growing season requirement growing garlic is definitely a labor of love. That pays dividends in flavor. Did you know that California grows 90% of the garlic sold in the United states? Learn more about how garlic is grown here in our sunny state. I left inspired to grow more of my own garlic this fall since I really haven’t allocated big enough space for them in the past. Truthfully I just get stingy with the growing space since it takes so long, but I am currently expanding the garden so YAY for more space to grow garlic!

^{_{Images courtesy of CA GROWN by James Collier and Hillary Rance}}

Ingredients for Salsa Macha:

Garlic– When it comes to infusing flavor we need garlic! Look for CA GROWN garlic for the optimal and freshest flavor available. Here’s a little tip-when you’re shopping look for the garlic bulbs that still have roots attached to the bulb that is a clear sign that it was grown in the U.S. Imported garlic has the roots removed during transport. California grows 400 different commodities, growing more than a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruit and nuts.

Olive oil– The base for our sauce is good quality olive oil! I go with an extra virgin blend that has a mild and balanced flavor. Look for the CA grown label when shopping. California Extra virgin Olive oil is rigorously tested ensuring we get quality product in every bottle.

Chile de Arbol– Bring on the heat! Chiles de Arbol are spicy and have quite the kick to them. They are considered a medium-hot pepper that is packed with heat and smoky flavor when used dry.

Chile guajillo-One of the most used and versatile peppers in Mexican cuisine is the chile guajillo. It brings bright earthy flavor with a slight kick of heat. (Peppers are one of my favorites to grow in the garden!)

Chile Ancho– is the mildest of the 3 chiles we are using for our Salsa Macha recipe. What this pepper lacks in the heat department makes up for it in flavor. It’s smokey, nutty and a great chile to add depth without adding heat.

Salt- I like using a salt that is more on the coarse side. Pink Himalayan is my go to but any salt will do.

Peanuts– Adds texture and nuttiness to our salsa. We blend some into the salsa and leave some whole for that extra crunchy bite. Feel free to swap out for your preferred nut, while the flavor may change a bit it will still be delicious. Cashews or almonds would be a good substitute.

Sesame seeds– Give this salsa a little extra crunch and smokey bite.

Pepitas- Earthy and crunchy this variety of seeds offer a nutty and savory addition.

Form of preparation for the Salsa Macha:

This salsa differs to others primarily by its preparation method AND lack of fresh ingredient use compared to traditional Mexican salsa. For this salsa macha almost all of our ingredients are fried in a garlicky olive oil infused bath, with the exception of the sesame seeds which are lightly roasted until golden brown. Frying the garlic and chiles intensifies and draws out their flavors plus fills the house with a delicious aroma. I don’t like to fry all the components at once because it’s necessary to work fast and prevent the chiles or nuts from overly browning as that will give our salsa macha a bitter and unpleasant taste. Working in smaller batches allows me to keep a close eye on every ingredient and remove it from the heat at the perfect point. The peppers will begin turning slightly darker within a minute, monitor the heat and lower as needed. Once our ingredients are cooled they are blended and ready to enjoy, it almost seems to simple! Check out the full recipe and instructions below.

I’m thrilled to be sharing this salsa macha recipe with you guys! I hope it’s enjoyed and saved to your salsa recipe arsenal. This has to be one of my favorite salsas! The blend of simple ingredients transforms into something delicious and so versatile.

I find great joy in eating seasonally from my garden as well as making recipes with fresh local produce. Food connects people on so many levels and meeting farmers that are passionate about not only growing food but actually making changes for a more sustainable way of farming makes me hopeful for the future. I’m thankful for the bounty of our state and farmers that don’t take their job lightly. They are committed to growing and evolving.

This post was made in partnership with CA GROWN all expressed opinions are my own. I am thankful to share about the bounty our state has to offer. Check out other delicious ways to use your in season produce on their blog Californiagrown.org