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UNITED STATES TRADEMARK VIOLATORS COLUMBUS, CINCINNATI & OHIO RETAIL LOCATIONS
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Chuck Evans’ MONTEZUMA® Brand PRESENTS:
Never leaving its native home, the tomatillo [toh-MAH-tee-YO] or little green husk tomato is very important in the cooking of Mexico and to a lesser extent in Guatemala and Belize. The tart green fruit of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family is also called tomate verde, miltomate, tomate de cascara, and fresadilla. The fruits are between 1”-2” wide and have a papery outer skin or husk. The tomatillo is used while still green in many salsas and moles. Deriving from Náhuatl, where the Aztec language operates by adding prefixes and suffixes to root words, several genera of tomatl were described as round and plump fruit. Confusion arose in translating, therefore distinguishing in the early written records the different tomatl, including the domesticated miltomatl, or green husk tomato, from the plump red fruit we know as the tomato (or tomate in Spanish) which derived from the Náhuatl word xitomatl. Presently, in many areas of Mexico, domesticated tomatillos are called tomates; the wild varieties are called miltomates; and what we know as “tomatoes” are called jitomates. Conquered indigenous tribes under Aztec governance provided tribute to their captors. In pre-conquest Aztec tribute lists, tomatls are mentioned, although confusion exists as to whether they are miltomatl or xitomatl or possibly both. Around A.D. 1550, Don Juan de Guzmán, the Governor of Coyoacán in the Valley of Mexico (known as Anahuac “Lands of Water” & today’s Mexico City) has a list showing the receipt of 700 chiles and 700 tomates a week. Presumably these tribute tomatoes were the highland tomatillo. Don Juan’s tribute lists illustrate the consistent link between chiles and tomatoes. The tomatillo, from the genus Physalis philasdelphica, is a relative of the fruit we know as the tomato from the genus Solanum lycopersicon. These relatives occupy different ecological niches in Mesoamerica. The tomatillo/miltomate grows abundantly in the highlands whereas the tomato/jitomate grows successfully in the humid lowland areas. Evidence of miltomatl tissue has been dated as far back as ca. 800 B.C. and found in Tehuacán cave levels (south of the ciudad de Puebla) dating to A.D. 825-1225. The Europeans and especially the Italians, eventually accepted (although somewhat hesitatingly) the lowland Solanum, which thrived in Mediterranean conditions. The highland Physalis was never accepted by the Europeans and essentially never left its native shores until recently. However, the tomatillo has migrated north with legal and illegal Mexicans into the USA and remains a staple in their diet. Chuck Evans’ MONTEZUMA® Brand produced his Salsa Verde recipe (which at that time Chuck labeled his salsa verde, “Sun Salsa”) as part of his original product line in 1986. About a decade later, Chuck introduced his Smokey Chipotle® Salsa Verde, the very first chipotle green salsa made in the world. In September 2004, Chuck Evans’ MONTEZUMA® Brand SMOKEY CHIPOTLE® SALSA VERDE was awarded the 2005 National Golden Chile 1st Place winning entry in the SALSA VERDE category, at the ZestFest in Fort Worth, Texas, a blind-taste test conducted by Chile Pepper Magazine. Extending his vision of the increasing popularity of Salsa Verde, Chuck has introduced 3 new salsas verde in addition to his original & traditional SALSA VERDE, the base for all of the Chuck Evans’ MONTEZUMA® Brand Salsas Verde including the award-winning SMOKEY CHIPOTLE® SALSA VERDE. Chuck’s mild MANGO VERDE SALSA combines the green tomatillo with the succulent sweetness of the tropical mango and a splash of real lime. For an incredible flavor medley in your mouth is Chuck’s medium heat SMOKEY CHIPOTLE® MANGO VERDE SALSA…a unique combination of tart, sweet, lime, and smoky-heat. The grand finale SALSA VERDE is Chuck’s fiery hot Yucatán & Mayan-style HABANERO VERDE SALSA made with a splash of lime, the pungency of creamy garlic, and the incredible flavor (and scorching heat) of the world’s hottest chile pepper, the Red Savina® Habanero chile. ORDER one, or ALL 5, of Chuck Evans’ MONTEZUMA® Brand SALSAS VERDE by clicking on our PRODUCT ORDER LIST button.
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