Pico de gallo, or raw salsa, can be as spicy or as mild as you like, but it will spark up dishes from breakfast eggs to tuna salad to rice. And, of course, it's good in tacos or by itself on a chip. It looks like a simple concoction of tomato, onions, and cilantro, but the crucial ingredient is lime juice. And the real secret to great pico de gallo is letting the acid from the lime juice and the tomatoes do its thing over time. Salt will pull the juice from the tomatoes, and lime juice will tenderize the ingredients by marinating. See? Eating pico de gallo as soon as you put it together may be good, but it's even better anywhere between a half-hour and two days later.
The Kitchn has a great pico de gallo recipe, plus the science of how time pulls out the flavors. There are also tips on selecting and cutting the best tomatoes, adjusting the flavor with chiles, and using it to improve a variety of foods.
(Image credit: Engirare)
