Salsa is spicy and delicious, while ketchup is vinegary and vaguely syrup-like. There are any number of good reasons why Americans would prefer salsa to ketchup, not the least of which is our growing taste for spicy foods. Yet, to conservative website owner Matt Drudge, the fact that more Americans prefer fiery salsa to bland ketchup is a banner news story linking to a story about how Hispanic immigration has influenced what Americans eat:
The Drudge Report’s thinly veiled fears of Mexican invaders aside, the reality is that immigrants are a tremendous boon to the United States. Comprehensive immigration report would boost the nation’s economy by $1.5 trillion over ten years, and one conservative group estimates that it would create approximately 6 million new jobs over the same timeframe.
Immigration also introduces delightful new cuisines to the United States, bringing new flavors to the American palates — such as the rare and exotic flavor of salsa.
Update:
As Alex Seitz-Wald points out, salsa actually overtook ketchup as America’s top condiment more than 20 years ago. According to a 1992 New York Times report, “ketchup, long the king of American condiments, has been dethroned. Last year, salsa . . . took the condiment crown, outselling ketchup by $40 million in retail stores.”