Salsa macha is salsa from Veracruz, Mexico, made with dried peppers, nuts and other textural components such as sesame seeds, garlic, and oil. Its spice and tang combined with a nutty richness makes it an ideal replacement or accompaniment to better known salsa roja and salsa verde, and its relative uniqueness makes it a welcome option for consumers already well-versed in Latin cuisine to try.

Market research firm Datassential reports that 37% of the population knows what salsa macha is, but only 21% have tried it, with awareness highest among Hispanic and vegan/vegetarian consumers.

Click through the gallery to learn more about this Flavor of the Week and see how one restaurant is using salsa macha on its menu.