Gluten Free Sauce: Rosa Mexicana Kitchen Veracruzana Sauce

PRODUCT NAME:                  Veracruzana Sauce

COMPANY NAME:                  Rosa Mexicana Kitchen

COST:                                    $3.99

SIZE:                                     12 fl. oz.

COST PER OZ:                       $0.33      

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:     No

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:      N/A

ORGANIC:                              No

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:      N/A

VEGAN:                                 Yes

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:       No

LOCATION OF FACILITY:       New York, NY

SHELF LIFE:                          Unopened - 18 months

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.               

REVIEW:

Taste:

I admit, I was skeptical of this product. For starters, this “Veracruzana Sauce” looks an awful lot like “salsa”. I have no problem whatsoever with this fact (hey, I love a Mexican flair!) but this particular version was one that you don’t need to refrigerate until you open it and , as a rule, I find this to generally be an indicator that a salsa will be less fresh, and consequently less delicious. In addition to this fact, this salsa hails from New York City, which is not exactly a utopia or mecca for Mexican delights. I had a bias, it’s true. But my bias was wrong.

Vercruzana Sauce is delicious. It is indeed similar to salsa, but is made much more complex by incorporating capers and olives into the tomato/jalapeno/onion fold.  While the tomato paste base has a bit of a “Pace Picante Sauce” mouth feel it lends itself to be a silky background for the rich olive flavor. The capers aren’t exactly texturally identifiable, but there is a bit of a brine-y after taste that is excessively pleasant to my particular mouth, which just so happens to love all foods of a fermented or vinegar-esque nature.

The ingredients list is mostly simple (the only unmentioned addition is a bevy of spices) but the addition of sugar (albeit toward the end of the list) throws me off a bit. The sauce has a tang just from the tomato and it seems unnecessary to toss that little devil sugar into the mix. It seems that a lot of products these days arbitrarily add sugar because (duh) Americans seem to have a taste for it, but when it shows up in a product that has no reason whatsoever to be sweet, I always take pause.

Calorically, this sauce is an excellent condiment. At five calories per Tablespoon, it is just about the same as most non-olive-including salsas with that much more flavor. It is suggested that you pair this sauce with seafood but since I am vegan I simply used it to top a gluten-free veggie burger and it gave my meal a southwestern flair without adding as many calories as ketchup or vegan mayo would.

Labeling:

Labeling of this product is clear and sufficient.

Packaging:

This spread was packaged in a recyclable glass jar. The packaging seemed sufficient for the freshness of the product.

Reader’s Reviews:

Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Texture:           4

Taste:               4.5       

Value:              3.5

OVERALL:        4

Reviewed by Lacy D.