Bushwick Salsa Kings: Jake O’Connor, Rob Bowman, and Matt Burns

Salsa doesn’t sound particularly exciting, you say? I myself never think to buy salsa for home snacking or even parties — it’s just not something we ever ate growing up.

The guys from the Brooklyn Salsa Company, aim to change my mind about salsa, working in their kitchen right here in Bushwick. Recently, Matt and Rob, co-founders of TBSC, made a batch of their salsas and fried up some chips made with fresh local tortillas and headed over to my place, where Jessica and I were waiting with empty bellies.

Their earnest and energetic pitch, clearly crafted to appeal to the specialty store owner, began the moment we sat down across the table. Five flavors were laid out in front of us, and we were to wait to sample each until after they explained the ingredients.

The flavors are (yes) named for the five boroughs. And it starts out predictably: gentrified, “suburbanized,” bland Manhattan is the standard mild, ululatingly spicy Brooklyn is the hot version of same… the Bronx, with an eggplant base, has a more Indian flavor because — wait, because why? “The borough names are really just names,” explained Rob. “They’re not too-closely tied to the demographics of any one borough — but the Bronx apparently does have the highest local population of Indians.” If you say so, buddy. The Queens was one of my favorites — pineapple and coconut were great with the lime on the chips. Staten Island was their salsa verde — not a tomatillo fan, so Jessica mostly scarfed that one.

Before you dismiss them as just some more white dudes making salsa, realize that while they’re not so presumptuous as to un-Mexicanize salsa (I think that was already done many years ago), they are definitely trying to add more American flair to a popular condiment. In addition, they are using all green methods in its manufacture, including corn-derived containers, and all natural ingredients. Look for The Brooklyn Salsa Company products soon in your local natural markets.

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