A good salsa is spicy enough to make you reach for the nearest drink.
It’s also a masterful mix of flavours that has you going back for more.
So it’s no surprise to find the people behind Noosa’s salsaria are just as warm and welcoming as their little tubs of flavour.
For Julie and Casey Reid, House of Salsa is a handmade labour of love.
From Casey’s hand-drawn logo and rustic market stall table to the customised bunting and the salsa itself, it’s all handmade with a personalised vision.
They are now making a name for themselves as their salsas are sold around the Coast but the journey to this point is one that might strike a chord with those who aspire to turn their passion into a business.
“Jules is a maker, a musician, an artist. She finds it really hard to shine a light on herself,” Casey said.
“It’s really hard to put yourself out there and be vulnerable.
“But I can shine a light on her.”
Central to House of Salsa’s growth is how they’ve engaged with the community along the way.
“At our very first market we had so much salsa left over,” Jules said.
“The Noosa surf comp was on and Casey and our 10-year-old went down with a box of salsa and totopos and gave it out.
“And we still get people coming back to the markets saying, ‘you’re the guys that handed out the chips and salsa that day.”
Some customers even contribute to the recipe.
“We get people at the markets who will bring me bags of chillies because they’re growing prolific in their backyard and they don’t know what to do with them,” Jules said.
“Because we’re a small batch and have direct contact with what we’re doing, I can throw those into a batch.
“It makes me so proud they have given this to us to make something really cool.”
Jules grew up in Oregon, a state known for its standout Mexican restaurants.
Mexico and Latin America is to the USA what Southeast Asia is to Australia – not just a convenient holiday destination but the cuisine, crafts and culture permeate the mainstream and become the fabric of the nation.
“I wanted the logo to have some Spanish elements but I don’t speak Spanish, I’m not Mexican but it is a culture that was very close to my upbringing,” Jules said.
From restaurant to region, no two salsas are alike, every family has its own style, its own secret ingredients.
Not only is it addicting, but it sparks conversation.
“It’s what everybody took to parties at home,” Jules said.
“I missed walking into, you know, our favourite little restaurant and sitting down with mum, ordering a margarita and having the bowl of chips and salsa.
“It was a huge social thing.”
Carefully-crafted food and robust flavours run through her family.
“My dad was always smoking something – no not that kind – like smoking meat, so we’d have smoked buffalo, or wild-caught smoked salmon,” Jules said.
“He’s brilliant at infusing flavours,” Casey said.
“When we visited, he had a beautiful little barn with taps all around. He’d made (his wife) a tap with margaritas, one with beautiful ginger beer and then another had soda water with a bit of salt in it, crisp and icy.
“When you see Jules creating something, she’s pretty bold and into it.”
“(My parents) always loved trying new things and I think that is definitely part of my palette now,” Jules said.
“My mum was the casserole queen and casseroles are a whole bunch of things thrown together.
“But you’ve got to be able to nail the flavour.”
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With Mexican produce not so easy to procure in Australia, nailing the flavour has called for some improvisation.
“I had to adapt to what was available in Australia and that kind of helped these recipes along a bit as well,” she said.
“With the green recipe I use feijoas, when they’re in season, which you wouldn’t find in the states.”
Melding an element of the Sunshine Coast into the House of Salsa flavour profile is just another step in staying true to her passion.
“If you connect with my recipes then you probably connect with me as a person,” she said.
“I think that’s where I’ve learned to be really strong to be authentic to my vision.
“I hope it inspires more of this type of food.”
House of Salsa stalls can be found at Kawana markets every Saturday 6am-12pm and Noosa markets every Sunday 6am-12pm.
See Kawana Waters Farmers Market, Noosa Farmers Market and stockists.
