Happy National Sauce Month! 9 Latin American sauces you can shamelessly pack in your bag

Guatemalan Chirmol by A Taste for Travel

Wash, dry, and then char the fresh tomatoes over an open flame or dry skillet until dark brown. This toasting technique is used in many traditional Guatemalan dishes and involves lightly toasting or browning the tomatoes over a medium to high heat until charred but not scorched. While the tomatoes are browning, roughly chop the onions, cilantro, and mint.

After they are browned, roughly chop the tomatoes without peeling them. Combine tomatoes, cilantro, mint, and onions in a bowl. Add freshly-squeezed lime juice and stir until combined. Season with sea salt to taste. If desired, sprinkle with a dried chile like chile Cobanero or chiltepin just before serving.

Cuban sofrito by The Spruce Eats

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil Four cloves of garlic (chopped)

One small bay leaf

Two large Spanish onions (peeled and diced)

Two large bell peppers (red, seeded, and diced)

Four tablespoons diced ham

5 Roma tomatoes (diced)

Two tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup dry white wine

One bunch of cilantro (chopped fine)

One tablespoon fresh oregano (chopped fine)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. When the oil is hot, saute garlic, bay leaf, onions, peppers, diced tomatoes, and ham until onions and peppers are soft. Stir in the tomato paste and allow to caramelize. Add the wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and oregano. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Remove the bay leaf. Puree the cooled mixture in a blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can use it right away in a recipe calling for sofrito or place the mixture in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Tactical Tacos

Wait, so not all taco bases are citrus?! Tactical Tacos knows how to do taco sauce right with their notes of orange, lime, and cilantro to start your bite out just right, followed up with a perfect hint of Jalapeno and Cayenne pepper in the background. That’s just their mild sauce, Snafu. The Fire Fight and Ghost Protocol give you a similar ride with the citrus kick but with a much bigger spice hit for those that are brave enough to try it out!

Venezuelan creamy guasacaca by Que Rica Vida

Ingredients

3 ripe avocados, peeled and cut into pieces

1 medium-sized onion, chopped

½ green bell pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

½ cup fresh cilantro (only the leaves), chopped

⅓ cup wine vinegar

1 tablespoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon hot sauce

1 cup corn oil

Directions

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend until the sauce reaches the consistency you desire. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Argentinian Chimichurri by Muve Flavors

Ingredients

1 ½ cups fresh parsley leaves

Six basil leaves

The leaves of 3 sprigs of oregano

Four garlic cloves, crushed

Three tablespoons white vinegar

Six tablespoons oil

One teaspoon of chili pepper or ground chili

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend until it forms a sauce. Store the chimichurri sauce in the refrigerator until serving time.

Peruvian Salsa huancaina by Virgilio Martinez

Ingredients

2 ¾ oz Ají Amarillo chiles or any mild yellow chiles

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

10 oz red onions, cut into large dice

Two garlic cloves, peeled but left whole

¼ cup heavy cream scant

¼ cup queso fresco or ricotta cheese

One teaspoon fine sea salt

One teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Directions

Cut the chiles in half lengthwise and remove the veins and seeds, then cut the chiles into large pieces. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté the red onions, garlic cloves, and chiles for 5 minutes or until soft and lightly browned. Drain off any excess oil from the mixture. Transfer the sautéed mixture to a blender, add the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth. Cover tightly and refrigerate until required, or store in the freezer.

Ricante Sauces

Sauce, dressing, dip, marinade… Ricante does it all and with no sugar or salt added and with just the right amount of approachable spice. Ricante is not only Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, and Keto Friendly, but Whole30 approved! Ricante launched with five incredibly unique hot sauces, marrying non-traditional essences like apples, mangos, carrots, and habaneros.

They have recently launched four versions of Everything Sauce that can be poured on everything. Ricante’s Everything Sauces are a thicker, heartier blend of lush fruits and veggies, a little heat, and a lot of party in your mouth.

Tia Lupita Habanero Sauce

This Habanero Hot Sauce is an original family recipe of the brand and combines just the right amount of heat with each fruit’s natural sweetness. It is handmade in small batches, using only habanero peppers, dates, mangos, and spices. All ingredients are sourced from local farms and are non-GMO and gluten-free certified.

The sauce can be used as a condiment with breakfast burritos, eggs, sandwiches, tacos, pulled pork, steak, chicken, fish, quesadillas, and more.

Dominican Herb and Lime Sauce (Wasakaka) by Saveur

Ingredients

1⁄2 cup fresh lime juice

1⁄2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Two cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients with 1⁄2 cup water and season with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.