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[1] A great gift for salsa fans (photos #1, #2, #3, #4 © Villa México Cafe).
[2] The salsa comes in two sizes but only one strength: medium.
[3] Freshly-made, waiting to cool.
[4] Tortilla chips are only one of many ways to use black salsa. See more below.
[5] Named one of Boston’s best Mexican restaurants by The Food Lens (photo © Brian Samuels Photography).
[6] While there are “black tomatoes” like these heirloom Indigo Rose, Villa México salsa roasts conventional red tomatoes. But if you want to grow these, head to Harris Seeds (photo © Harris Seeds).
[7] Different salsa makers use different chiles. Villa Mexico uses jalapeños (photo © Ball Horticulutral Company).
[8] Garlic is roasted to add depth of flavor (photo Wesual Click | Public Domain).
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Black salsa is a great look for any time of the year but especially for Halloween and El Día de los Muertos.
Villa México’s Black Salsa is authentic, delicious, and unique.
You can order it online (we’re laying in a case for stocking stuffers). Larger orders for corporate gifts or party favors are available as well.
The recipe was developed by Julie “Momma King,” the founder and owner of Villa México Café in Boston’s Financial District.
As a Mexican transplant to greater Boston, Momma, an attorney in México*, could find no authentic Mexican cuisine in Beantown—or in the entire state of Massachusetts.
So she did what so many immigrants do: She established a restaurant to bring authentic Mexican food and culture to the people of New England.
She opened in Villa México Café in the town of Woburn, a suburb nine miles north of Boston—and as the owner of a start-up she also took on the roles of manager, cook, cleaner and anything else that was required.
ABOUT BLACK SALSA
Black salsa, or salsa negra, is a Mexican salsa made with fire-roasted tomatoes and peppers for a deep dark color and a depth of flavor.
Tomatoes and jalapeños are charred on the grill until they are almost black. The technique delivers a wonderful smokiness.
> See the history of black salsa below.
Villa México’s black salsa is all natural: no artificial colors, artificial flavoring, or preservatives.
Jars are available in 4-ounce, 12-ounce, and 32-ounce sizes. There’s only one variety: medium heat.
> Below: many ways to use black salsa.
ABOUT THE BRAND
Through the years, the black salsa at Villa México’s restaurants developed a cult following. Along with her adult daughter Bessie, Momma King began bottling the salsa to sell during the holiday season.
By the time of COVID-19, customers were ordering jars almost daily for shipping to California, D.C., Ohio, Texas and beyond. Mother and daughter decided to venture into a retail salsa business.
In 2024, Villa México’s Black Salsa was accepted into the Samuel Adams Brewing The American Dream competition for entrepreneurs. Bessie made the pitch and won the contest: $10,000 to invest in the new business.
The result: Villa México’s Black Salsa can be purchased online and shipped nationwide.
> Get yours at ViaMexicoCafe.com/Salsa.
BEYOND TORTILLA CHIPS: WAYS TO USE BLACK SALSA BEYOND TEX-MEX
Here are suggestions from customers and those of us at The Nibble—who will become customers after tasting this special salsa:
Condiments
Cocktail Sauce. Add to or use in place of cocktail sauce.
Compound Butter. Add to softened butter, roll into a log, refrigerate, and use slices to top grilled steaks and chops.
Creamy Dip. Mix equal parts of sour cream, Greek yogurt, or cream cheese and black salsa. Whisk until smooth and well blended. Pair it with chips, of course, but also with crudités and even chicken and beef skewers as an alternative to barbecue sauce.
Grilling Sauce. Brush onto fish and seafood, meats, or vegetables on the grill.
Ketchup, Mayo, and Mustard. Mix some black salsa to your condiments for burgers, fries, hot dogs, and wherever, e.g. Stir into chicken, egg, potato, and tuna salad.
Salad Dressing. Similar to dips, you can add black salsa to most homemade or store-bought salad dressings. Whisk Greek yogurt with salsa, and EVOO to your desired consistency. Or, blend together black salsa, lime juice, and EVOO.
Marinade. Whisk the juice of one lime with a spoonful of black salsa. The salsa will be “watered down” from the lime juice; if you like it that way, use it as is. Otherwise add more lime juice, black salsa, or spice to taste. Place 2 chicken cutlets, fish fillets, or steak tips with the marinade in a zip-lock bag or other sealed container for at least 2 hours, then cook as desired.
Sandwich Spread. Use the same blend for creamy dip (above) in place of mayonnaise or other sandwich spread. Try it on a roast beef, turkey, grilled veggie, or cheese sandwich.
Sushi & Sashimi. Use instead of soy sauce, or blend into soy sauce.
Appetizers, Mains, Sides & Desserts
Burgers & Meatloaf. Add a spoonful of black salsa into your mixture. Add only a pinch of salt or pepper, if any, as the salsa provides plenty of seasoning. Cook as usual.
Breakfast. Whisk a spoonful into scrambled eggs, with optional chopped ham or veggies. No salt or seasonings are needed. Other options: mix with honey and spread on toast, or add to cheese grits (salsa negra compliments smoky bacon, too).
Canapés. For small bites built on a slice of baguette or a cracker, add your topping of choice (meat, poultry, smoked salmon), and top with a crown of creamy dip.
Cranberry Sauce. Spice up either homemade or store-bought. Add black salsa to taste to meld the sweet and tart flavor of cranberry sauce with the spice and smokiness of black salsa.
Ice Cream. Top vanilla ice cream with black salsa. The ice cream/salsa ratio should be 70/30 to still taste the vanilla but have some added spice that doesn’t overwhelm the sweetness.
Pasta & Pizza. Refresh Italian dishes by adding black salsa to simmering marinara sauce. Use the sauce with pasta, pizza, mozzarella sticks, etc. If you make spaghetti and meatballs, you can alternatively add black salsa to your meatball mixture. Or, stir it into mac and cheese.
> The history of salsa.
> The different types of salsa.
> May is National Salsa Month.
> Make your own with these salsa recipes.
THE HISTORY OF BLACK SALSA, A.K.A. SALSA NEGRA
A popular Mexican salsa that originated in the city of Los Mochis, a coastal city in the state of Sinaloa in northwest México.a. The salsa’s history is relatively new, and it was developed to enjoy with the plentiful seafood available.
The exact ingredients, spices, and process used to make salsa negra varies by cook. They can includes árbol and chiltepine† or other chiles, roasted tomatoes, garlic, salt, vegetable oil, even soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
Some cooks like to spice things up with black pepper, cinnamon, clove onion powder, cumin, clove, and at least one cook added “a tiny bit of dried Mexican oregano [source].
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*To practice law in Massachusetts, Julie would have had to go back to school and take the bar exam. But she needed to prioritize her daughter Bessie’s education.
While the chiltepín looks like a pink peppercorn rather than a chile pepper, this small, berry-like chile (Capsicum annuum var. Glabriusculum is a close relative of other Capsicum annuum species like bell peppers and jalapeños. They are first green but turn bright red as they mature. You can find them sun-dried.
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