Try Bisco’s Italian Salsa: An Excellent Local Product.

If you’re anything like me, you know that the condiments are often more important that the actual food. Being a lover of Mexican food and Asian cuisine of all origins, you begin to grow an affinity for the extra elements that make the meal something memorable. For me, whatever I’m eating is always a potential “condiment delivery system” and I’ll tell you what–the obsession for salsas, hot sauce and other various ways to liven up a snack grows stronger by the day. Here’s something I unexpectedly came across in my adventures as the Guru.

Bisco’s Italian Salsa is another locally-made CNY product with roots just slightly west of Elmira, New York. The owner of Bisco Foods is also in charge of creating this totally unique salsa. I had the chance to meet Dan Corsaro (pictured on the bottle) at the Harvest Fest a few weeks back and he was nice enough to give me a bottle in exchange for my thoughts. I tasted all the samples that day but I had to sit with the flavors a while before writing this up.

I just opened my second bottle of Bisco’s Italian Salsa (the second hottest variety) and I can say I’m absolutely in love with this stuff. I’m always ready to try new salsa but rarely find anything with a balanced flavor. Either it’s all heat and no flavor (effectively burning off your taste buds), too runny, too salty or the worst of all–not fresh tasting. I’ve narrowed it down to a few basic favorites when it comes to salsa but Bisco’s Italian Salsa definitely went to the top of my list. It also feels great to support a small Upstate business instead of some giant corporation with my salsa dollars.

And now the important part. Open up some Bisco’s and pair it with some organic blue corn chips and you’ve got one hell of a snack. As I said, I generally go for the forehead sweat inducing levels of heat but none of my favorites have much balance as a result. This does. You get the aroma of fresh pasta sauce, a refreshing mouthfeel, followed by an absolute explosion of tomato and habañero heat. The first couple bites go down easy, but watch out–the chiles are there–and in great numbers. After 15 minutes you realize that somehow you’re eating something excessively hot but managing just fine. It’s all about balance. The salt, fresh tomato and pasta sauce sweetness counteract what could be a traumatic salsa experience, dissolving it into one of the most amazing salsas I’ve ever had. The difference between this and the Mexican-style salsa you’re used to is very subtle but don’t get it confused–this is as Italian as it gets–slow cooked for hours just like your Italian grandmother (or not) used to make.

The main thing that sets Bisco’s Salsa apart from the competition are the ingredients (all high-quality and fresh). Instead of the normal chemicals, dyes and additives here you’re looking at imported olive oil, basil, sweet peppers and garlic–just a bunch of top-notch ingredients that you’d likely find in any gourmet pasta sauce. No preservatives means you’ve gotta eat it fast–but one taste will ensure you accomplish that goal.

I’m telling you, it’s something you need to try–I give it the Syracuse Guru Seal of Approval (that’s something new I came up with over the weekend). You’ll be addicted in no time, luckily this addiction only costs $6 a bottle!

Flavors (from mild to extreme): Wimpy, Wimpy with Extra Garlic, Getting There, Look Out and finally, Have At It. Anything above “Getting There” is for experienced hot food lovers only. All are delicious. You can even get creative and add any of them to your favorite Italian recipes–Mom’s homemade sauce kinda bland? She’ll never know you did it!

Buy It Here!

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