Spice, girl

Showoff

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Object

Every time I go to a restaurant and see a dish with salsa macha, I order it. There’s something irresistible about the mix of nuts, seeds, chiles, and oil, and I’ve never encountered an ingredient that didn’t benefit from a spoon of this traditional Mexican condiment. But it never occurred to me to buy a jar for the pantry until I came across Showoff, a new Bay Area brand started by entrepreneur Margarita Flores Vasconcelos.

Putting to work a multi-generational recipe, Showoff features three flavors: Classic Peanut, which packs a dangerous spice punch, the milder Cherry Pistache, and Honey Pecan. All are available in two sizes, a 2-ounce jar that’s ideal for sampling, and a 6.5-oz one (the latter is currently sold out). This is Vasconcelos’ first food venture, and it’s a small, focused operation that doesn’t skimp on cute branding.

Having already sprinkled the different salsa machas on roasted sweet potatoes, burrata and squash, and more, I can attest that all of them are texturally rich, with distinct, nuanced flavors that go beyond the spice. More importantly, perhaps, they gave my dishes that restaurant-quality impressive finish that took them from “I made something” to “I made an effort.” And yes: I may have told a white lie once or twice when asked if I made the salsa macha myself. With a product that good, can you blame me? –Flora Tsapovsky

→ Shop: Showoff, 2 oz, $7.