New Mexican Salsa Brand In The Stores

[jfchandler]

Came across a surprise in my local Villa Market today when I found they were down to the very last jar of Danitas salsa, which is halfway decent as local products go. But I needed two jars, and there was only one of Danitas...so I started looking around.

And to my surprise, nearby, I spotted jars of something I've never seen before... three 350g jar varieties of El Sapo (the toad) salsa from Nana Foods based in Chainat... Looked around a bit, and found they have info on their new salsa product on their web site... Each of the bottles has a graphic on a sombrero wearing toad on the label.

http://www.nanaproducts.com/El_Sapo.html

I opted for the Salsa Picante variety, supposedly the hottest of the three. Pricing at Villa was 74 baht, compared to 77 baht for a 500g jar of Danitas salsa...

The nice thing I noticed in checking the ingredients label of the Toad is the list begins with: tomatoes, onion, vinegar, tomato paste, japapenos, and then onward. The label also says no preservatives, artificial flavors or artificial colors added.

The first jar went straight into flavoring a frijole dip... so I can't speak to its flavor... The next jar I'll try to taste test directly.

[avidflyer]

El Sapo is far and away the best local salsa, IMHO. The same company, Nana Foods, makes the best local pasta sauce, IMHO. The company has been around a year or so, I think. Not sure how widely available, but Friendship Market in Pattaya has it.

[DP25]

They've had El Sapo for well over a year (maybe 2?) at the Villa I use, it's great. El Charro is great too, and they make a green salsa as well. Both these are better than any of the foreign salsas I see here, and are cheaper as well. Danitas is a bit too vinegary for me.

[jfchandler]

That's interesting to hear...about you guys having had the toad already in your local stores for some time...

I can't say it's NEW here in BKK... only that I buy salsa regularly...and had been using Danitas....but never noticed the toad before yesterday.... Maybe I just wasn't looking...

It IS nice to have another choice, in that I'll certainly agree....the imported salsas Villa and the others seem to stock are the C**P variety....on par with Rosarita or Tostitos....

I did try my homemade frijole dip (with my bottle of the toad mixed in) later last night, and found it did have quite a nice bite to it... So, apparently the picante variety of the toad does indeed have some kick to it...

PS - before I posted yesterday, I did a search on TVisa for "el sapo" and found zero hits... So if you guys have been using it, you apparently hadn't ever posted about it...

[wildoates]

El Sapo IMO not very good. I would pay more for a better tasting one. I make my own....

[jfchandler]

I'm already making homemade peanut butter, hummus and frijoles.... every week....

The salsa...I'm content to let someone else prepare, especially when there are decent store-bought varieties available that are shelf-stable and I don't have to worry about it getting old in the frig....

[tutsiwarrior]

I'm already making homemade peanut butter, hummus and frijoles.... every week....

The salsa...I'm content to let someone else prepare, especially when there are decent store-bought varieties available that are shelf-stable and I don't have to worry about it getting old in the frig....

shameful, big city arrogance...out here in the wilds of Suphanburi with regard to available ingredients can I make peanut butter? NO!...and can I make hummous? NO! and lets not even talk about goddam frijoles...

but for salsa we got all the ingredients; plump tomatoes, nice onions, garlic and fresh chiles and cilantro by the handful...spread upon buttered toast...yum...possibly to top with fried egg for 'huevos rancheros without tortillas'...

I do some salsa every week when at home, sometime just to wallop a piece of tescos baloon wheat bread when the urge arises...

the step daughter watches with a mix of incredulity and disgust and then I say: 'you eat that or later I shall deny you food...'

[powderpuff]

El Sapo is a board sponsor. Their ad is on the right hand side of this page.

I totally remember talking to this guy about his product some time ago. On this forum.

[powderpuff]

El Sapo

If you use advanced search; El Sapo; posts & topics, Western food you will get about 15 threads.

[jfchandler]

Weird.... you're right PP... When I do the search now, I see those...

When I did it the other day, I found none... Maybe I had a typo or something when I ran the search....

Thanks for the correction...

[jfchandler]

El Sapo is a board sponsor. Their ad is on the right hand side of this page.

I totally remember talking to this guy about his product some time ago. On this forum.

I knew Nana Foods was a sponsor....

But on my PC.... I see no ads....on purpose...

[featography]

I'm already making homemade peanut butter, hummus and frijoles.... every week....

The salsa...I'm content to let someone else prepare, especially when there are decent store-bought varieties available that are shelf-stable and I don't have to worry about it getting old in the frig....

Ok show off, how about flour and corn tortillas, or, real buttermilk, or, Hidden Ranch Salad Dressing, or, jalapenos, habanero, Serano chilies? Serious as a heart attack, does Villa happen to stock any of these things??? BTW, if you like homemade peanut butter, which I think is for kids, try home made almond butter. Thats for the grownups. Once you go there, you save the peanut butter for other people

[jfchandler]

I'm already making homemade peanut butter, hummus and frijoles.... every week....

The salsa...I'm content to let someone else prepare, especially when there are decent store-bought varieties available that are shelf-stable and I don't have to worry about it getting old in the frig....

Ok show off, how about flour and corn tortillas, or, real buttermilk, or, Hidden Ranch Salad Dressing, or, jalapenos, habanero, Serano chilies? Serious as a heart attack, does Villa happen to stock any of these things??? BTW, if you like homemade peanut butter, which I think is for kids, try home made almond butter. Thats for the grownups. Once you go there, you save the peanut butter for other people

We're getting a bit far off the topic here... but...

There are plenty of raw flour and corn tortillas, as well as pre-fried corn ones, to be found at Villa Markets, usually...as well as some as Foodlands...and elsewhere...

Hidden Valley Ranch - I don't use it, but a friend does, and says he's never seen it in Thailand... Asked me to bring back some packages from the States.

As for the chilis... most people seem to find satisfaction in the wide variety of Thai chilis as substitutes... They work fine for me.

As for the nuts, actually, I've made and eaten both cashew and almond butter before...

But, I make homemade PB for two reasons...

1. to avoid all the sugars and oils and other junk that usually goes into the commercial products... which I could do with any home-purchased nut. But...

2. the commercial products here are seriously overpriced (150 baht plus or minus), and even moreso for the "natural" varieties, most certainly because they're being imported.

By contrast, I can buy a bag of skinned regular peanuts in the store for 33 baht or so, and have 500g of homemade peanut butter after roasting the nuts in the oven at home...

Cashews are relatively cheap here, though not as cheap as peanuts... But almonds seem to be particularly expensive, probably because they're being imported.

[Goinghomesoon]

I make a casserole of skinless chicken thighs and the El Sapo salsa - bake, covered, in the oven until cooked. It's really yummy

[jfchandler]

I make a casserole of skinless chicken thighs and the El Sapo salsa - bake, covered, in the oven until cooked. It's really yummy

Going, are you using just the bottled salsa over the chicken, and nothing else added?

Browning the chicken first...or just baking from scratch?

[tutsiwarrior]

I make a casserole of skinless chicken thighs and the El Sapo salsa - bake, covered, in the oven until cooked. It's really yummy

I remember back in my SoCal days there was the same recipe on the labels of jars of La Victoria Salsa Ranchera; just the chicken and salsa baked together...never did make none though...

the Ranchera sauce was my favorite and although it sez 'cooking sauce' on the label I used it exclusively as a condiment...La Victoria make a range of salsas, all excellent and by which I assess the merit of other bottled salsas that I've come across during my world wide and interplanetary travels...

check out La Victoria salsa if yew ever see it in thai supermarkets...probably wildly expensive...

2 minute guacamole: mashed avocados mixed with with dollops of La Victoria Salsa Ranchera to taste...righteous...

[Awohalitsiktoli]

I'm already making homemade peanut butter, hummus and frijoles.... every week....

The salsa...I'm content to let someone else prepare, especially when there are decent store-bought varieties available that are shelf-stable and I don't have to worry about it getting old in the frig....

Ok show off, how about flour and corn tortillas, or, real buttermilk, or, Hidden Ranch Salad Dressing, or, jalapenos, habanero, Serano chilies? Serious as a heart attack, does Villa happen to stock any of these things??? BTW, if you like homemade peanut butter, which I think is for kids, try home made almond butter. Thats for the grownups. Once you go there, you save the peanut butter for other people

We're getting a bit far off the topic here... but...

There are plenty of raw flour and corn tortillas, as well as pre-fried corn ones, to be found at Villa Markets, usually...as well as some as Foodlands...and elsewhere...

Hidden Valley Ranch - I don't use it, but a friend does, and says he's never seen it in Thailand... Asked me to bring back some packages from the States.

As for the chilis... most people seem to find satisfaction in the wide variety of Thai chilis as substitutes... They work fine for me.

As for the nuts, actually, I've made and eaten both cashew and almond butter before...

But, I make homemade PB for two reasons...

1. to avoid all the sugars and oils and other junk that usually goes into the commercial products... which I could do with any home-purchased nut. But...

2. the commercial products here are seriously overpriced (150 baht plus or minus), and even moreso for the "natural" varieties, most certainly because they're being imported.

By contrast, I can buy a bag of skinned regular peanuts in the store for 33 baht or so, and have 500g of homemade peanut butter after roasting the nuts in the oven at home...

Cashews are relatively cheap here, though not as cheap as peanuts... But almonds seem to be particularly expensive, probably because they're being imported.

I saw Hidden Valley Ranch dressing at Foodland in Pattaya. I saw corn tortillas and flour tortillas at Villa Supermarket across from the Emporium in Bangkok. El Sapo salsas are good. I can make salsa, but I am lazy. It is easier to just buy a bottle of El Sapo and some chips (Villa Supermarket also has Mexican corn chips).

[Backwoods]

I'm already making homemade peanut butter, hummus and frijoles.... every week....

The salsa...I'm content to let someone else prepare, especially when there are decent store-bought varieties available that are shelf-stable and I don't have to worry about it getting old in the frig....

Ok show off, how about flour and corn tortillas, or, real buttermilk, or, Hidden Ranch Salad Dressing, or, jalapenos, habanero, Serano chilies? Serious as a heart attack, does Villa happen to stock any of these things??? BTW, if you like homemade peanut butter, which I think is for kids, try home made almond butter. Thats for the grownups. Once you go there, you save the peanut butter for other people

Main Villa sells both the Japaleno and Habenero peppers in the produce and best ones are japalenos comming from Kings Project retailers,(hot and Big). As for Ranch dressing I have been buying Paul Newmans Ranch for dressing and dips! I am a nut on Salsa and buy El Sapo for local buys, but my American taste is for the Pace Picante, and I have it ordersed from the US along with US pepperoni, BBQ sauce, and even candy,(jawbreakers, Atomic fireballs). While drinking my Dr Pepper, Mt Dew, and eating cheetos andDoritos with Valveeta cheese dip, you can find a lot if you look !

[Backwoods]

I make a casserole of skinless chicken thighs and the El Sapo salsa - bake, covered, in the oven until cooked. It's really yummy

Try doing Shrimp in the sauce! Peeled shrimp with butter in skillet, when fully pink through add salsa and turn up heat and let thicken a bit, add garlic salt to taste and great and fast!

[jfchandler]

While drinking my Dr Pepper, Mt Dew, and eating cheetos and Doritos with Valveeta cheese dip, you can find a lot if you look !

No offense, but.... I wouldn't eat Velveeta cheese dip in the U.S., in Thailand, or in any other country I can think of on this Earth.... with or without Doritos.

How about buying some shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, also available at Villa and elsewhere, and melting it a bit over the top of your chips... Now we're talking....

[Michaelaway]

I'm already making homemade peanut butter, hummus and frijoles.... every week....

The salsa...I'm content to let someone else prepare, especially when there are decent store-bought varieties available that are shelf-stable and I don't have to worry about it getting old in the frig....

Ok show off, how about flour and corn tortillas, or, real buttermilk, or, Hidden Ranch Salad Dressing, or, jalapenos, habanero, Serano chilies? Serious as a heart attack, does Villa happen to stock any of these things??? BTW, if you like homemade peanut butter, which I think is for kids, try home made almond butter. Thats for the grownups. Once you go there, you save the peanut butter for other people

Main Villa sells both the Japaleno and Habenero peppers in the produce and best ones are japalenos comming from Kings Project retailers,(hot and Big). As for Ranch dressing I have been buying Paul Newmans Ranch for dressing and dips! I am a nut on Salsa and buy El Sapo for local buys, but my American taste is for the Pace Picante, and I have it ordersed from the US along with US pepperoni, BBQ sauce, and even candy,(jawbreakers, Atomic fireballs). While drinking my Dr Pepper, Mt Dew, and eating cheetos andDoritos with Valveeta cheese dip, you can find a lot if you look !

Right on, Dude!!! Junk food junkies... Unite!!

[NanaFoods]

I make a casserole of skinless chicken thighs and the El Sapo salsa - bake, covered, in the oven until cooked. It's really yummy

Going, are you using just the bottled salsa over the chicken, and nothing else added?

Browning the chicken first...or just baking from scratch?

We have a recipe on our website for a similar dish called "salsa chicken" - essentially the same as described above, but topped with cheese, sour cream, and scallions. Adding beans is optional.

See: http://www.nanaprodu...lsa_Chicken.pdf

More recipes at bottom of the page of this link:

http://www.nanaproducts.com/El_Sapo.html

[jfchandler]

Nana, what kind of retail outlet distribution does your El Sapo salsas have, in BKK and elsewhere?

They're in Villa Markets... and???

[Goinghomesoon]

I make a casserole of skinless chicken thighs and the El Sapo salsa - bake, covered, in the oven until cooked. It's really yummy

Going, are you using just the bottled salsa over the chicken, and nothing else added?

Browning the chicken first...or just baking from scratch?

We have a recipe on our website for a similar dish called "salsa chicken" - essentially the same as described above, but topped with cheese, sour cream, and scallions. Adding beans is optional.

See: http://www.nanaprodu...lsa_Chicken.pdf

More recipes at bottom of the page of this link:

http://www.nanaprodu...om/El_Sapo.html

First time I just cooked it - laid the chicken on the cut up vegies (usually mushrooms and zucchini) and poured the sauce over. Second time I floured & browned the chicken first before putting on the veg. To my mind there wasn't much difference in the taste. I would have used the website's sour cream/cheese option but didn't have any. The prawns sounds good....

[NanaFoods]

We have a recipe on our website for a similar dish called "salsa chicken" - essentially the same as described above, but topped with cheese, sour cream, and scallions. Adding beans is optional.

See: http://www.nanaprodu...lsa_Chicken.pdf

More recipes at bottom of the page of this link:

http://www.nanaprodu...om/El_Sapo.html

First time I just cooked it - laid the chicken on the cut up vegies (usually mushrooms and zucchini) and poured the sauce over. Second time I floured & browned the chicken first before putting on the veg. To my mind there wasn't much difference in the taste. I would have used the website's sour cream/cheese option but didn't have any. The prawns sounds good....

Interesting.... I like the idea for adding vegies... especially the mushrooms. I really like mushrooms.

It's essentially a Southwestern dish; not-so-strict "rules"; so it lends itself to your creativity.

And, I agree... the prawns do indeed sound good.

[jfchandler]

So I'll repeat my question below....

Nana, what kind of retail outlet distribution does your El Sapo salsas have, in BKK and elsewhere?

They're in Villa Markets... and???

[NanaFoods]

Nana, what kind of retail outlet distribution does your El Sapo salsas have, in BKK and elsewhere?

They're in Villa Markets... and???

sorry ...seems I missed your first post....

Listing of outlets is at bottom of our home page: www.nanaproducts.com

Note:

not every Tops store carries us; depends on the demographics (and hence sales volume) of the area.

And they only stock our Traditional and Amatrician pasta sauces. No salsa...YET, but we are working on it.

Tough to get new products in, as their shelf space is already over-maxed.

So for BKK, as pertaining to our salsa, your choices are currently Villa and TangHuaSeng.

[kikoman]

I like the salsa , I usually make my own but keep a bottle or two on hand for those lazy days when I do not feel like making my own. For those of you who may not know , they also carry a few types of Spaghetti sauce which I use quite a bit, when I go into town I get 6-7 bottles of it, I also use that sauce as a pizza sauce when making pizza's, It is great.

[kikoman]

I like the salsa , I usually make my own but keep a bottle or two on hand for those lazy days when I do not feel like making my own. For those of you who may not know , they also carry a few types of Spaghetti sauce which I use quite a bit, when I go into town I get 6-7 bottles of it, I also use that sauce as a pizza sauce when making pizza's, It is great.

sorry for the double post, its been a while!