Pico de Gallo

In Mexican cuisine, pico de gallo (, literally rooster's beak), also called salsa fresca or salsa mexicana (in Mexico) is a fresh, uncooked condiment made from chopped tomato, white onion, and chilis (typically jalapeños or serranos). Other ingredients may also be added, such as lime juice or apple cider vinegar, fresh cilantro (coriander leaf), cucumber, radish or firm fruit such as mango.

Pico de gallo can be used in much the same way as other salsas, Kenyan Kachumbari, or Indian chutneys, but since it contains less liquid, it can also be used as a main ingredient in dishes such as tacos and fajitas.

In some regions of Mexico, a fruit salad (watermelon, orange, jícama, cucumber and sometimes melon and papaya) tossed in lime juice and hot sauce or chamoy and sprinkled with a salty chili powder is also known as pico de gallo; it is a popular snack and usually sold outside schools, while the tomato-based condiment is better known as salsa picada, which means minced or chopped sauce, salsa mexicana or salsa bandera (flag sauce), because the colors – red (tomato), white (onion), and green (chili) – are the colors of the Mexican flag.