Jan 16 2015

If you have been to the Sayulita Mercado del Pueblo, you have likely seen Martin del Toro Gutierrez, a Sayulita local, at his vendor booth selling a variety of fresh, colorful, homemade salsas. The salsa recipes have been handed down generation to generation through his family and many members of his family have made it their livelihood. “My great grandma, my grandma, and my mom all made and sold salsa, and my sister also sells salsa,” shared Martin.

Martin first started making salsa at the age of 5, under the direction and guidance of his great grandmother, though he was introduced to the taste and spiciness long before this. “When I was an infant, my aunt would dip her finger in the salsa and bring it to my mouth,” said Martin.

He has been making salsa for approximately 20 years now and enjoys the process of making it. “It relaxes me as I cook. I also enjoy the smells associated with making salsa. They are very interesting to me,” confided Martin. Not only does he make salsas that have been passed down through the generations, he has also invented his own salsas, and has built on the salsas of various restaurants in which he has been a chef.

Martin’s talent and knowledge of salsa making is vast, as he can make up to 70 varieties of salsa. He makes a pina salsa, which is one of his top sellers. “The pineapple complements the chiles nicely and results in a sweet and spicy salsa, but not too spicy,” said Martin. His personal favorite, and another crowd pleaser, the brava salsa, is a very traditional, authentic salsa. This is a hot and spicy salsa, utilizing four types of dried chiles, and resulting in a wonderful smoky flavor that perfectly complements red meat.

“My family told me I could make good money selling salsa and encouraged me to give it a try,” Martin shared. He first started selling salsa in Mexico City and has since sold it in Yelapa, Puerto Vallarta, San Pancho, and Sayulita, to name a few places.

He generally sells approximately eight types of salsa at the Sayulita Mercado del Pueblo. Each of the salsas he sells is freshly made. In fact, the day before the Sayulita Mercado del Pueblo he spends approximately 16 hours making the mouthwatering spread of salsas. Aside from selling salsa at local markets, he also sells salsa by special order for parties and events.

In the future, Martin plans to publish a recipe book of his salsas. Below is his recipe for pina salsa.

Salsa Pina, Pineapple Salsa para 10 personas/for ten people
1    pina/pineapple - en cuadritos, in small cubes
10  jitomates/tomatoes - bien picado, cut into small pieces or cubes
1/2 cebolla/onion - bien picada, small pieces
Cilantro - 300 gramos, picado, chopped finely
2    dientes de ajo/garlic cloves - picado, chopped finely
3    limones/limes - esprimidos/squeezed
4    piloncillos chicos/tradicional sugar or molasses cones (small ones) o 1/2 del pilloncillo grande/1/2 large one  
Rebuetos con/marinade with
1/4 taza/cup de vinagre blanco/white vinegar
y espera/wait for un hora/one hour
 
Salsa Pina/Pineapple Salsa para 2 personas/for 2 people
2   rebanadas de pina/2 rings of pineapple
2   jitomates/tomatoes
1   cucha de cebolla picada/large spoon of chopped onion
jugo/juice of 1/2 limon/lime squeezed
1/2 ajo/garlic - un poco/a little
cilantro - un poco/a little
1   cuchara de azucar/1 spoon of sugar
y un poco menos una cuchara de vinagre/and a little less than a spoonful of vinegar