Salsa

In modern Iraq what first comes to one’s mind at the mention of the words sauce and salsa is a store-bought bottle of steak sauce similar to A1, which we use primarily for hamburger sandwiches. We think of salsa as a loan word and concept. Other store-bought sauces are more commonly known by their names, such as khardal (yellow mustard sauce), ketchup, and mayonnaise. Home-made dips and sauces are more commonly given names such as hummus bi-tihina and jajeek.

Now, etymologically the words salsa and sauce are said to have been borrowed into English from Spanish and French, respectively, and that both ultimately come from Latin salsus ‘salted,’ which stems from sal ‘salt,’ an important ingredient indeed in making sauce and salsa (American Heritage Dictionary, 4th edition).