# Hot salsa and wimpy Canadians **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659 "2010-12-10T14:37:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/61 "2010-12-13T02:59:42Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > Up Nawth a bit, you have to nurture those nightshade plants like the hypersensitive emo kids they become there, starting them as seedlings indoors and racing autumn for your first handful of ripe fruits. That’s true enough. They take watching and care in the early and late parts of the season, and I have to keep an eye on the weather in the fall. But summers can be extremely hot, which helps. I’ll generally only get one harvest, in the fall, though I might find some fruits are ready in late summer. In short, growing hot peppers can be done here in Canada; and if Mother Nature cooperates and I do things right, the results can be frighteningly hot. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/62 "2010-12-14T04:47:04Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Me: I don’t like chocolate ice cream, which tastes a little bitter. I like vanilla. > You: ::Shrug:: > > Me: I don’t like wheat bread. It tastes dry. I like white. > You: ::Indifference:: > > Me: I don’t like spicy food. It’s painful. I like non-spicy food. > You: **WIMP!!** > > I mean, WTF is your problem(s)?:mad: I might not say it out loud, but this is what would be going through my head. You: I don’t like chocolate ice cream, which tastes a little bitter. I like vanilla. Me: Are you effin’ kidding me… what a wimp! You: I don’t like wheat bread. It tastes dry. I like white. Me: What?, are you 3??? Should we cut the crusts off too you wimp? You: I don’t like spicy food. It’s painful. I like non-spicy food. Me: Yeah, not everyone is into the heat. Wimp ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/63 "2013-10-29T21:31:31Z")
Resurrected, 'cause after almost 3 years I had the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Michigan for some Pace Hot Salsa. While visiting family in Sarnia, Ontario I drove to Port Huron Michigan and got a couple of jars of Pace. I also bought a refrigerated tub of “La Mexicana” Hot Salsa, which is good, but Pace is just phenomenal. I figure I’ll be making a trek to Ogdensburg, New York a few times a year now to stock up, if I can find it there. It will be worth it if I fill up with gas and maybe get some milk or cheese at the same time. Ahhhh… Pace! I should have bought a case. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/64 "2013-10-30T16:26:40Z")
He gets his salsa from New York City. [New York City?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVuB806j_-E) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/65 "2013-10-30T16:41:40Z")
My theory is that the difficulty of finding hot salsa is related to the disappearance of “firm” toothbrushes from stores. Lots of soft, mooshy toothbrushes out there, but firm bristles have virtually vanished. Wimps. Anyway, if you like Pace salsa (glurph), what’s to stop you from cutting up some hot peppers (plus garlic, cilantro etc.) and amending the stuff to your taste? My favorite Mexican restaurant serves a fresh hot salsa that is too lethal to consume on its own, but greatly perks up their standard salsa. And none of this “oo, it burns my mouth” silliness. As long as a salsa makes my scalp sweat, it’s in the properly flavorful range. ---
**Author:** ![Das\_Glasperlenspiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/das_glasperlenspiel/32/2944_2.png) [@Das\_Glasperlenspiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Das_Glasperlenspiel)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/66 "2013-10-30T17:10:47Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > There’s no doubt some spicy salsa to be found _somewhere_ in Ottawa, however it can’t be found at any of your normal chain grocery stores. I’m out in the Carp area, and so driving downtown for a $3 jar of salsa is a bit out of the way! > > I might pop into Bells Corners this weekend and see what I can find. > > (I’m pretty sure that place in the Market has been closed for a few years now.) There is now a Mexican food stall in the ByWard Market building. They have authentic Mexican food (including soft drinks) and also sell sauces, etc. Might be a good place to start. They also have very, very good tacos! ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/67 "2013-10-30T17:29:19Z")
If you like Pace, why aren’t you just buying the stuff from Amazon? Shop around while you’re there and see if you can find some good salsa while you’re at it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/68 "2013-10-30T17:30:29Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Resurrected, 'cause after almost 3 years I had the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Michigan for some Pace Hot Salsa. While visiting family in Sarnia, Ontario I drove to Port Huron Michigan and got a couple of jars of Pace. > > … > > Ahhhh… Pace! I should have bought a case. I feel sorry for the northern residents of this globe. Here in the southwest, we have many Hispanic markets that offer their own salsa’s, and those salsa’s are leagues ahead of ketchup, I mean Pace. If you’re not sweating by the second bite, it’s not hot sauce. If you can find some **Tapatio** , it’s a fair substitute for adding some kick, but it won’t make you sweat. eta > **[Tapatio Hot Sauce](https://www.tapatiohotsauce.com/)** > > In 1971, Jose Luis Saavedra, an immigrant from Mexico, began making his hot sauce recipe in California. He started Tapatio, named after his children's hometown of Guadalajara, in a small warehouse. Despite working another job, the business grew,... ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/69 "2013-10-30T17:38:55Z")
If you ever make it down to the SF Bay Area, try to find some Casa Sanchez Chile And Tomate Asado Salsa. They only make it in small batches, which is good because it so addictive. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/70 "2013-10-30T17:39:03Z")
> [@Das\_Glasperlenspiel](#): > > There is now a Mexican food stall in the ByWard Market building. They have authentic Mexican food (including soft drinks) and also sell sauces, etc. Might be a good place to start. > > They also have very, very good tacos! Well, that’s news to me! I’ll report back in a week or so! Gracias. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/71 "2013-10-30T17:47:01Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Pace Medium mixed with about 1/3 Mexican Hot Sauce is my perfect salsa. I like the taste of fresh salsa but it isn’t homogeneous enough to stick to chips. Some grocery stores sell Guar Gum. That’s what gives jarred salsa (and some grocery store fresh salsa) that gelatinous texture. You might look into adding that to your recipe. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/72 "2013-10-30T18:32:57Z")
People who like hot stuff are a dime a dozen. I know of a guy who likes to eat dog shit. Yes, dog shit! Do any of you guys like to eat dog shit? Why not? You can’t handle it or something? Bunch of wimps. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/73 "2013-10-30T19:24:59Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Really - just chop some jalepenos, onion, tomatos, maybe some bell pepper… > You can add a touch of vinegar to brighten it if you like or a pinch of sugar to take the edge off a bit - try until you find a combination you like, playing with your food is fun. Just go get a Rick Bayless cookbook and it’ll have a half-dozen salsa and guacamole recipes in it. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/74 "2013-10-30T23:44:07Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > A few years ago there was a thread here regarding a really good, hot salsa. I forget the name of the stuff, but when I went looking for it in the grocery stores I could only find the medium and mild versions. > > Oh well, at least I still can buy Pace Hot Salsa. It was only available at one chain of stores, but I knew I could at least find it. Well, until now. They’re stopped selling hot, and only have mild and medium. I emailed them asking why, and apparently it just wasn’t moving so they discontinued it. > > Other brands that do say hot, are not. Heck even Pace Hot wasn’t at my level, but it was decent enough. > > Now, all I can find is shitty mild and medium salsas that don’t even register on the Scoville scale. > > Fucking wimps here. I learned, in a mexican restaurant that was treating me with kid gloves, that if the salsa wasn’t spicy enough, I could add a few drops of El Yucateco sauce to it, and make it just as hot as I wanted it…The sauce is from Mexico, and it’s made from habanero peppers, and Mexico is a long way from you…if only it was available in Canada… [http://www.elyucateco.com/english/where-order/where-order-CAN.html](http://www.elyucateco.com/english/where-order/where-order-CAN.html) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/75 "2013-10-30T23:45:53Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > People who like hot stuff are a dime a dozen. > I know of a guy who likes to eat dog shit. Yes, dog shit! > Do any of you guys like to eat dog shit? > Why not? You can’t handle it or something? > Bunch of wimps. Very constructive. Thank you for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/76 "2013-10-31T00:14:38Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > People who like hot stuff are a dime a dozen. > I know of a guy who likes to eat dog shit. Yes, dog shit! > Do any of you guys like to eat dog shit? > Why not? You can’t handle it or something? > Bunch of wimps. I’m giving you a warning for threadshitting. If you don’t care for the topic of a thread, stay out of it – don’t post calling the participants assholes. **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/77 "2013-10-31T01:05:56Z")
I like [Trinidad Moruga Scorpion](http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/09/so-god-made-the-worlds-hottest-pepper/279749/) salsa, but two million Scoville units is barely enough to get my taste buds tingling. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/78 "2013-10-31T01:17:02Z")
I was in Budapest last year and one of the servers warned me about a pepper that was in the stew. It basically had no heat. Less that a banana pepper, but more than a bell pepper. That was weird. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/79 "2013-10-31T01:24:03Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > Yeah, from what _I_ understand (which admittedly isn’t all that much about gardening) it’s just that it’s hard to do because the growing season is so short. In Texas, tomatoes and peppers can literally grow as weeds if you’re not careful about the seeds, and you can harvest from good varieties for several months. Up Nawth a bit, you have to nurture those nightshade plants like the hypersensitive emo kids they become there, starting them as seedlings indoors and racing autumn for your first handful of ripe fruits. > > I don’t think the capsaicin content is directly affected by the growing conditions, though I could be wrong – it’s just that the plants themselves don’t thrive without extended heat. My son planted a Jamaican Scotch Bonnet pepper plant in our back garden this year. I wasn’t sure how hot they’d become in our (relatively) northern climate of Toronto. The plant has yielded around 30 peppers around the size of a ping pong ball. The first one we tried, my son cut it up and then wiped his nose - holy fuck, you’d have thought we were killing him; it took about an hour to get him settled. I had some of those slices on my pizza that night - two 1/8th inch square bits per slice of pizza, and that was plenty hot. I use about 1/2 of one in a medium sized pot of chili, and it’s just fine. Unscientific conclusion from one season’s experiment - I think the plants grow just as hot up here as they do down south. I now have a jar of vinegar and hot pepper slices in the fridge that will probably last much of the winter. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659/80 "2013-10-31T02:53:45Z")
I lived in Albuquerque for 8 years before I could eat Mexican food. After a while you figure out that the burning, nose leaks, and tearing eyes aren’t going to kill you and then you start appreciating the green chile. Makes a good seasoning for your stew. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-salsa-and-wimpy-canadians/563659.md?page=5)