Sassiest Salsa 2023 winners

_{Photo Credit: elRestaurante Magazine | Featured: James Lane, Winner of the 2023 Sassiest Salsa Contest}

We at Sammic are thrilled to announce the champions of el Restaurante's 2023 Sassiest Salsa Contest. As enthusiastic sponsors and experts in restaurant food prep equipment, seeing such inventive recipes was truly inspiring.

Winner Spotlight

The top accolade went to James Lane's unique Pickled Jicama Verde. Representing One World Catering from Bloomington, Indiana, James brought to the forefront a salsa that embodied originality and global flavors. His passion for underrepresented ingredients, like jicama, has led him to craft a salsa that not only tastes superb but also invites an exploration of taste and texture. This delectable salsa is recommended on dishes like carnitas, vegetarian tacos, or even an elevated avocado toast.

Honorable mentions:

• 2nd Place: Angel Miranda's Salsa Macha from Flying Taco Mexican Grill, Towanda, Pennsylvania.
  3rd Place: Christopher Morrill's Salsa de Nopal at Taco Shop, El Paso, Texas-

Our role in the contest

As active participants in this culinary journey, our Corporate Chef, Enrique Fleischmann, joined the esteemed panel of judges, alongside chefs Dudley Nieto and Herve Guillard. Enrique was especially captivated by Lane's salsa, noting its standout originality and the delightful infusion of jicama.

Experiencing the depth of innovation firsthand, Neal Pearlman, our North America Sales Director, reflected, “Witnessing chefs push culinary boundaries has been both a privilege and an inspiration. With our deep connections to the Mexican and Latin food communities, we at Sammic are ever-enthusiastic about championing innovation and celebrating culinary excellence."

To all participants, thank you for making this contest a resounding success! Let’s keep the culinary innovation flowing.