They also take their recipes seriously. Home-grown New Mexico cuisine is a mosaic of all cultures. Its ingredients have intermingled and complemented each other since Coronado's expedition. New Mexicans had better be given a pretty compelling reason for sharing a prized recipe with the world.
New Mexico Magazine offers a couple of good reasons - recognition and prestige – through its second annual New Mexico Magazine Salsa Contest.
“Our 2010 contest was a resounding success, and we look forward to toasting New Mexico’s culinary heritage through our 2011 competition,” said Ethel Hess, publisher of New Mexico Magazine. “A love for fantastic New Mexican food is a major reason people travel around New Mexico and subscribe to our magazine.”
The 2010 winner was Xerarch’s Nice ‘n’ Hot Salsa of Alamogordo, whose recipe was developed by proprietor Art Weingaertner. The product is available at www.xerarchs.com.
For commercial manufacturers only, entry to the “Bring the Heat” contest is limited to ready-to-eat salsas that are either made in New Mexico or made with New Mexico ingredients and available for purchase online or in retail outlets.
The contest winner will be featured in New Mexico Magazine’s "New Mexico's Best Eats" June issue; earn prestige as New Mexico’s best salsa of 2011; and be given the New Mexico Magazine Salsa Contest Winner’s Seal.
Deadline for entry is February 1, 2011.
A panel of three judges will evaluate the salsas in a blind taste test. In the event that a judge is unable to participate, New Mexico Magazine will appoint a qualified person. The decision of the judges is final.
Contestants may submit as many varieties of salsa as they choose. Each entry must include one jar of the salsa and one entry form, which can be downloaded at http://www.nmmagazine.com/salsacontest.php. To qualify, entries must be tamper-proof and arrive undamaged. Broken and/or unsealed jars will be disqualified. By submitting your product to the contest, you grant New Mexico Magazine the right to publish images of it in its publications, websites, e-mail newsletters, and any promotional material (i.e. press releases or advertising).
Mail your entry to:
New Mexico Magazine Salsa Contest
495 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Watch a video of the 2010 New Mexico Magazine Salsa Contest judging at www.nmmagazine.com/salsacontest_june10.php