As a Texan, having fresh, hot tortilla chips and good salsa to enjoy them with is part of my inherited sense of entitlement. Never hard to find where I come from. In New York City, still obtainable with a little more work. Finland, we have a problem. It’s not that they are impossible to find here, but good tortilla chips aren’t as accessible as a Tex-Mex junkie would hope for and, salsa? Voi ei!
But there are options. For tortilla chips, I’ll suggest Santa Maria Original Nacho Chips (the round ones) as a tolerable go-to because almost every K-Market, S-Market, and Lidl will carry them for between 3-4€ for a 475-gram bag, or 6,29 – 8,40€ / kilo.
The best option I’ve found so far are Fort Deli Natural Mexican Style Tortilla Chips which go for a little over 7€ for a 750-gram bag, or 9,47€ / kilo. Expensive chips, but we are in Finland. These have a wholesome, fresh ground corn flavor and excellent texture. Fairly thick, too, so support a lot of salsa 😉
The real problem is the salsa. I haven’t found anything edible that you can purchase off the shelf, unless you are fortunate enough to find Herdez (hecho en México) in one of the very large K-Citymarkets in the capital region. Save your euros and make your own. As you know, there are as many ways to make salsa as there are humans on the planet, but I am currently enjoying one I’ve based on the ingredient list for the amazing but currently out-of-production Royito’s Hot Sauce (from Texas, of course – see Ingredients – Royitos Hot Sauce) and the basic salsa cooking recipe by Mely Martinez found here: Cod Crispy Fish Tacos [Pescadillas] – Mexico In My Kitchen
Love the simplicity of the ingredients list, but in place of the serranos, which I cannot find, I have often to use jalapeños which are available in all of the larger markets in the capital region, or in the foreign food stores. For some more heat, add a habanero, which is also easy to find here. It’s not Royito’s, but it’s good, my girls love it. And not drowning in cumin like all of the ‘salsas’ made in Sweden and Central Europe.
Ingredients:
- 2-4 fresh tomatoes, depending on their size
- 20 fresh jalapeños if serranos are not available. If it’s jalapeños, for good heat, add 1-2 habaneros, too
- 1 medium size fresh lemon
- salt
Directions:
- Add the tomatoes and peppers to a pot and cover with water. Place on the stove over medium-high heat to cook for about 20 minutes, or until tomatoes and peppers are soft and cooked.
- Place the cooked tomatoes and peppers in your blender along with about ¼ cup of the cooking water. Process until you have a smooth sauce.
- Pour the salsa into a bowl, add 2 tablespoons or so of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and season with salt. Taste while the peppers are still angry about the blending. Set aside what’s left until serving time.
- Enjoy!