In Mexican cuisine, most of the dishes are based on the type of sauces used and their stuffing. The dish salsa Verde is usually based made from the tomatillo.
Now, these tomatillos are small and green vegetables. In appearance, they look like tomatoes and actually do not belong to the tomatoes genus.
So in Mexico, a salsa Verde is generally a salsa based on tomatillo and is then mixed with several ingredients like onions and chili peppers. Talking about the exact meaning of salsa Verde, it actually means green sauce in both the languages, Italian and Spanish.
Tomatillo vs Salsa Verde
The difference between tomatillo and salsa Verde is that tomatillo looks just like a tomato, but both of them tomato and tomatillo belong to the nightshade family, while salsa Verde is something that is made from tomatillo, and tomatillo is the only main ingredient in it. Along with tomatillo, you need lime, jalapeno, chili peppers, and onions.
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Tomatillo that is also known as the Mexican husk tomato is a plant that looks like a tomato with a little husk but does not belong to the same family but is from the same nightshade family. Tomatillo bears small and spherical-shaped green or purple colored fruit having the same name.
Salsa verde is the Spanish and Italian name of green sauce. Basically, salsa verde is a family of half-cooked sauces that is generally made with herbs.
It actually comes under Mexican cuisine and is made with tomatillo. It is usually served with other Mexican dishes like enchiladas and chicharron.
Along with tomatillo, you need lime, jalapeno, chili peppers, and onions.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Tomatillo | Salsa Verde |
|---|---|---|
| What are they? | Tomatillo, also known as the Mexican husk tomato, looks like a tomato with a little husk. | Salsa Verde is the Spanish and Italian name of green sauce. |
| Originated from | Mexico | Mexico |
| Main ingredients | Tomatillo itself is an ingredient and is used in several dishes. | The main ingredient used for making the salsa Verde sauce is the tomatillo. |
| Type | It is a type of tomato but with a little husk on it. It does not belong to the family of tomatoes but with the same nightshade family. | Salsa Verde is a type of green sauce used and eaten with many different dishes. |
| Uses | Tomatillo is used in many dishes as an ingredient. | Salsa Verde is a sauce that is eaten as a compliment with several dishes. |
What is Tomatillo?
Tomatillo that is also known as the Mexican husk tomato is a plant that looks like a tomato with a little husk but does not belong to the same family but is from the same nightshade family. Tomatillo bears small and spherical-shaped green or purple colored fruit having the same name.
Tomatillos were used to cultivate in the Columbian era, but they originated from Mexico only.
Tomatillo is a staple or very common in Mexican cuisine. They are cooked with a variety of dishes and are eaten with many of them.
The main dish they are made with is salsa verde. Except for the far northern area where there is the highest diversity in Mexico, wild tomatillos are found everywhere in America and their related plants.
Before the coming of Europeans, tomatillos were domesticated in Mexico. After that, they played a major part in the culture of Maya and Aztec, even more, important than tomatoes.
What is Salsa Verde?
Salsa verde is the Spanish and Italian name of green sauce. Basically, salsa verde is a family of half-cooked sauces that is generally made with herbs.
It actually comes under Mexican cuisine and is made with tomatillo. It is usually served with other Mexican dishes like enchiladas and chicharron.
Along with tomatillo, you need lime, jalapeno, chili peppers, and onions.
There are many subtypes of this green sauce like- cooked sauce on which several ingredients are cooked and then they are grounded, the other one is roasted salsa sauce in which all the elements of the ingredients are roasted in the comal, and they are grounded, then there is raw in which all the ingredients are ground, and the sauce is prepared without even cooking, and the last one is a combination of everything where the ingredients are cooked properly.
Main Differences Between Tomatillo and Salsa Verde
- The main difference between tomatillo and salsa Verde is that Tomatillo, which is a Mexican husk tomato, is a plant that looks like a tomato with a little husk, while Salsa Verde is a Spanish and Italian name of green sauce.
- Tomatillo originated from Mexico, and salsa Verde is also originated from Mexico.
- Tomatillo itself is an ingredient and is used in several dishes, while the main ingredient used for making the salsa Verde sauce is the tomatillo.
- Tomatillo is a type of tomato but with a little husk on it. It does not belong to the family of tomato but with the same nightshade family of it, but Salsa Verde is a type of green sauce used and eaten with many different dishes.
- Tomatillo is used in many dishes as an ingredient, but Salsa Verde is a sauce that is eaten as a compliment with several dishes.
- https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/40/5/article-p1312.xml
- https://www.torrossa.com/gs/resourceProxy?an=3134960&publisher=FZ8857
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
