Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Almost every restaurant in Puerto Vallarta serves at least one kind of salsa and there's everything from mild to wild. If you live in the area part or full time, you have a chance to make your own version with fresh ingredients year-round.

"I know what is inside my salsa if I make it myself," says Edward Padalinski, a real estate agent with Ron Morgan Properties in Puerto Vallarta and Bucerías. "I also know it is really fresh and less expensive than store bought varieties."

Although the term salsa was coined by the Spanish, this condiment has been around way before its current namesake. Around 3000 BC, the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas combined chilies with tomatoes or tomatillos, spices, ground squash seeds, beans and chili peppers to produce this condiment in a variety of ways.

Wild tomatoes are native to Peru and Ecuador. Tomatillos, which are not green tomatoes, are native to the Andes, in the area which is now Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. Domestication of these plants allowed salsa to become a staple of the Aztec diet.

The Spanish were first exposed to tomatoes and this dish after they conquered the Aztecs (1519-1521). It was served with venison, wild turkey, lobster and fish. Some say it was the conquistadores who first called it salsa. Others say it was a Spanish priest and missionary named Alonso de Molino who named it in 1571.

Edward shares his Simple Salsa recipe. He says it is easy to make and easy to serve.

For sensational salsa:

2 Roma tomatoes
1/2 white medium size onion
1 serrano chili (more if you like it spicy)
1 lime
1 cup of chopped cilantro

Chop tomatoes and onions to about 1/4" in size
Mince serrano chili
Put into a bowl
Add cilantro
Squeeze in the juice of the lime
Mix and Enjoy!

"I eat it mainly with tortillas chips," says Edward. "And I love to top eggs and omelets with it. The best part is that it is only five calories per ounce!" You can also use the baked tortilla chips to eliminate extra fat.

This recipe can also serve as a base for more exotic flavors. Think about adding fresh fruits and other vegetables, different chiles or beans. Make it different every time.

Ron Morgan Properties specializes in luxury real estate in the Marina Vallarta area and beyond to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and Punta de Mita, as well as along the southern shores of Banderas Bay, from the Romantic Zone, Amapas and Conchas Chinas down to Mismaloya and even Costa Alegre. For more information, visit RonMorgan.net.

Click HERE to learn more about Ron Morgan Properties.