Salsa Lizano
Salsa Lizano, (salsa means "sauce" in Spanish), is a Costa Rican condiment developed in 1920 by the Lizano Company. It is now a product of Unilever. It is a thin, smooth, light brown sauce (akin to such condiments as HP Sauce). It is meant to be used while cooking or at tableside to flavour one's food when serving. It is slightly sweet with a hint of spiciness lent by black pepper and cumin.
The ingredients include water, sugar, salt, vegetables (onions, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers), spices, pepper, mustard, and turmeric.
Many Costa Rican dishes are prepared with Salsa Lizano, and it is ubiquitous on restaurant tables in its country of origin. It is commonly used with gallo pinto and tamales, and is also considered particularly complementary with eggs, rice, beans, fish, cheese, curries, and as a marinade for meat.
Salsa Lizano is increasingly available commercially throughout North America through online retailers. The first USA importer was Costa Rican Store in 2003. Lizano and Costa Rican Store worked together to bring containers of Lizano to the USA.