SALSA

“I found myself a single mom with seven children, struggling to put food on the table and with the pain of losing my first born son to leukemia. I was embarrassed because I came to America with a dream filled with hopes and possibilities. And here I was living off of food stamps and Medicaid. This was not the future I wanted for my children.” 

— SalsaQueen 

To truly understand this dream for a better future that is now Salsa Queen, one must come to know the SalsaQueen herself — a once-single mother who found the courage to believe in herself and provide for her children by making and selling salsa. A centuries-old art form at the heart of Mexican culture, salsa gave the SalsaQueen a way to express herself, find confidence within, and lift the lives of her children and many others.

SalsaQueen grew up in the shadow of the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains, surrounded by the industrialized smells, sights and sounds of Monterrey, Mexico. Her neighborhood — streets stacked with cookie cutter houses — offered families the basic necessities. Yet behind the mild exterior of her home, SalsaQueen found a fiery passion for combining vibrant flavors into all sorts of dishes, especially salsa.

When her mom became pregnant and required rest, the SalsaQueen had to cook. When she made her first batch of rice, she added sugar instead of salt! Yet this sweet mistake led to a joy of cooking. She started experimenting with flavors. She put beans in a pot, adding onions and garlic, and when her auntie told her these beans were the best, SalsaQueen knew she must keep going.

“I remember making this salsa fresca, which is like a Pico de Gallo,” she recalls, “but instead of chopping the ingredients, I put the tomatoes in a blender with lime juice, garlic, onions, and cilantro ... and it was delicious! So I continued trying new things and I discovered I loved cooking.”

Her childhood had its trials, and she often felt an emptiness inside. She suffered from color blindness and dyslexia, and was often plagued by harsh words and self-doubt. But despite these challenges, she held onto her dream of coming to America. At 17, SalsaQueen and her family finally migrated to this country. 

But when her American dream faded to darkness, the reality of raising her seven children alone and without an income turned to despair. She felt she had nowhere to turn. That was when she met Jim Birch, who is now her husband and the CEO of Salsa Queen. 

Jim believed in her and that was all that mattered. When he asked her what she would like to do to give her children a better life, she gathered the courage to share her dream.

She told Jim, “I want to do something powerful that speaks my language, culture and passion. I want to make salsa because I love food, and food brings people together and makes them happy, even in the saddest of times.” 

Jim posted on Facebook asking if anyone was interested in buying her salsa. Several said ‘Yes.’ So SalsaQueen and her children, aged two to 12, worked in their small kitchen to fulfill the first orders. Some of the children grilled corn, some cut onions, chopped tomatoes or squeezed limes. Every ingredient had to be fresh, just like in Mexico.

And although Salsa Queen has grown into a large manufacturing facility in West Valley City, with products being sold in more than 1000 stores, its sights and sounds and the lives it has touched remain a vivid reflection of the heart and dream of SalsaQueen.

“We had artists paint murals of SalsaQueen and her Sugar Skull label — a symbol of Mexico’s Day of the Dead — in remembrance of the baby she lost,” Jim recalls. “These paintings now offer a bright and beautiful entrance. And the kitchen is like a fiesta, with Latin music blaring and everyone having fun.”

But then there was Carla, an employee of six years, who simply did not feel smart or capable. So when an opportunity arose for her to grow into a new role, she did not feel she could do it. Not until Salsa Queen insisted that she could.

SalsaQueen told her, “If you are a mother, then you can do this. Believe in yourself and see how far you can go.” So she gave it a try, and now she is doing things she never thought possible!

Then there was the young boy who had leukemia and was receiving chemotherapy at the University of Utah, taking away his ability to taste food — except for red chili salsa. So the Salsa Queen invited him and his dad to visit.

Recalling the memory, “Jim and I gave him and his dad tons of red chili salsa,” she said. “This brought a lot of tears and joy in knowing that this young boy, who reminded me so much of my son, came into my life loving something that I have made with love.” 

While her children have grown, with the youngest being 13, she continues to nourish their dreams with an open door to become part of the business she built to lift their lives. 

SalsaQueen says it best: “When people buy my salsa, I want them to buy the dream, the hope, that they can do it, too. In every container there is a dream for them, and for my family.”