Joe and Linda did a wonderful Featured Product Review for Big Orson Sauce & Salsa Factory, Inc. a few months ago. I was so impressed with his Mango Habanero Salsa that I felt compelled to do my own review of it.

Big Orson’s Citizen Cajun Hot Ingredients: Mangoes, onions, Green and Red Bell Peppers, water, tomatoes (tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, calcium chloride, citric acid), cane sugar, ginger, cilantro, dehydrated garlic, lime juice concentrate, salt and Habanero powder.

This fruit salsa has a hue of mustard color, something that isn’t very appealing for me, but knowing it’s not mustard does the trick. Small chunks of the various ingredients can be seen and the varied color of the sauce gives it a nice look.

Instant, full on flavor of mango mixes in with the ginger to create one heck of an outstanding flavor combo. I don’t think I’ve ever had mangos with ginger, what a pleasant pairing. The onion follows this and comes in and out of the flavor equation. Up next is the Bell Pepper, a little tartness from the lime juice, a bit hit of garlic (which were a little bit too solid compared to the rest of the ingredients), then the tomatoes. There’s a hint of fruity Habanero but it, along with the cane sugar, is lost amongst the mango and ginger. I do detect a hint of cilantro.

The heat starts out on the side of the tongue, moves to the front of the tongue, builds, then fades to a back of the throat burn. It’s a nice high-end medium salsa with just enough heat to get me sniffling a little. I’ve had Orson’s Very Hot version of this and I must say I prefer the heat level on that one over this one, but it’s still fantastic.

Too many companies that do a fruit salsa seem to make a regular salsa (heavy tomato based), and then throw some fruit on top of that. It’s nice to see a salsa completely fruit centered and done so well! Hats off to you, Big Orson!

Taste: 8.6577, Heat: 6.5