We were lucky to catch up with Kathleen recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kathleen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Tienda Salsita started out of my home kitchen in 2018, but the seed for the idea was planted in 2017 when I was living in Mexico. I was completely captivated by the way salsa wasn’t just a condiment—it was an essential part of every meal, deeply tied to culture, memory and tradition. I learned to make salsa the way it’s supposed to be made: fresh, using a molcajete, with simple but high-quality ingredients. I did not seek to start a food business – I always believe the salsa business found me.
When I moved back to the U.S., I couldn’t find anything that came close to the salsas I had in Mexico. Most store-bought salsas were overly processed, one-dimensional in flavor and lacked the depth that comes from traditional techniques.
In Mexico I learned to make Salsa Chile de Árbol from my Tia Nella, who was adamant about her process. Salsa recipes and techniques are very particular and magical—no two people make it the same way. My aunt had her way of making it, just how she liked it in her home and she entrusted me with that tradition. I was honored to be the salsa maker in the house, the one responsible for bringing that essential part of the meal to the table. When I returned to the U.S., I adapted her recipe to fit my own taste, refining the balance of flavors until it felt like mine.
I made fresh salsa for myself in my molcajete at home all the time after living in Mexico. I’d serve it to friends and family and soon they were asking if they could buy jars from me. My Nana, who grew up in Latin America and loved my salsa, was one of my biggest encouragers. She saw how much people loved it and urged me to start selling and even shipping it across the U.S. I started small. I made batches in my kitchen, grinding chiles by hand, sourcing fresh produce from local farms and selling jars on Facebook Marketplace. I’ll never forget the first time someone messaged me saying, “This is the best salsa I’ve ever had. Where can I get more?” That was one of my moments of validation—I knew this was something special. There had to be people like me—people who wanted a salsa that wasn’t just spicy, but complex, balanced and made with real local ingredients.
With my background as a jam maker, I knew how to preserve fresh, handmade products without losing their vibrancy and depth. That was a huge advantage—I could bring people a salsa that tasted like it had just been made, even if it was jarred and shelf stable.
What has always excited me was the idea of bringing real, small-batch, stone-ground salsa to people who had never tasted it before. No shortcuts, no fillers—just bold, deeply flavorful salsas that could transform even the simplest meal. Over time, my customer base grew, I got featured in major publications and now Tienda Salsita is stocked in stores, at farmers markets, and in the homes of salsa lovers across the country.
At its core, my business was about solving a simple problem: giving people access to truly great salsa. But beyond that, Tienda Salsita is built on partnerships—both in the U.S. and Mexico—honoring the people, culture and traditions that make salsa what it is. I work directly with farmers, makers and producers on both sides of the border to ensure that every jar tells a story and respects where it comes from. This business isn’t just about salsa; it’s about connection, tradition and sharing something deeply meaningful with the world.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m Kathleen, the founder of Tienda Salsita, a small-batch, handmade salsa company rooted in tradition and quality. My journey into this craft started long before I ever thought about turning it into a business. I grew up in Sonoma County, surrounded by incredible food and a deep appreciation for fresh ingredients. My father was a trained chef and many of my family members are incredible cooks—so food was always central to my life. Cooking is my love language and I have strived to have my work in the world be tied to food in some way.
I studied sustainable agriculture at The Evergreen State College and spent years working on farms and in agricultural settings. That experience gave me a deep respect for the farmers and producers who make high-quality ingredients possible, and it’s integral to Tienda Salsita today—I source my fresh produce directly from small farms and prioritize working with those who share my values of sustainability and craftsmanship.
My love for salsa began when I lived in Mexico, where I learned firsthand how essential it is to every meal. I was taught to make Salsa Chile de Árbol by my aunt, who was particular about every step of the process. Salsa recipes and techniques are deeply personal—no two people make it the same way. I was honored to be the salsa maker in her house and when I returned to the U.S., I adapted the recipe to fit my own tastes. When friends and family tried my salsas, they encouraged me to start selling them and Tienda Salsita was born.
Tienda Salsita is about honoring tradition while creating something truly special. I make stone-ground, handmade salsas using fresh produce sourced directly from small farms.. My products range from classic salsas like Chile de Árbol to unique seasonal creations, like my Salsa de Muertos made with rare tusta chiles from Oaxaca. What sets my salsas apart is their depth of flavor—these aren’t just spicy condiments, they’re complex, layered and meant to be part of the meal, not just on the side.
I think the biggest problem I solve is giving people access to truly high-quality, authentic salsa. So many store-bought salsas are over-processed and lack real character. My customers—whether they’re home cooks, chefs, or just people who love good food—come to me because they want something that tastes like it was made in a home kitchen, not a factory. I also love helping people expand the way they use salsa—it’s not just for chips! My customers use it in marinades, as a base for stews, on roasted vegetables, and even eat it straight out of the jar. .
One of the things I’m most proud of is the network of partnerships I’ve built, both in the U.S. and in Mexico. From the farmers who grow the chiles to the customers who have been with me since the beginning, this business is rooted in connection. I’m also incredibly proud of the growth Tienda Salsita has seen—from selling jars on Facebook Marketplace to being featured in Vogue, Thrillist, and Eater, and now working with major retailers. We have collaborated with companies like Masienda and Wonder Valley to make one of a kind salsas for their customers.
For those just discovering Tienda Salsita, I want them to know that this isn’t just about salsa—it’s about honoring the culture, people and traditions behind it. Every jar tells a story and I’m excited to share that with more people.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
One of the most defining moments of my journey with Tienda Salsita was in 2020 when the pandemic turned everything upside down. When everything shut down in March, I had no idea when markets or events would reopen. It was challenging enough to continue to produce salsa when the world was shut down. Like so many small businesses, I was suddenly facing uncertainty with no clear path forward. By May, I realized it was time to make the big decision of moving home to Northern California after living away for 10 years. I decided to move back in June 2020, I relocated my business, knowing I would have to start from scratch in a new place.
It was daunting, but I wasn’t alone. My sister and I packed up our home, my business and drove across the country. As soon as I got back to Northern California, I reached out to everyone I knew in the farming community. One of the most important people was a farmer friend of mine at the time—he was the first person I sourced local tomatoes from after moving back. He introduced me to all the small farms I still work with today, helping me rebuild my supply chain in a way that aligned with my values.
In the process of rebuilding my business across the country, something unexpected happened—I fell in love. That farmer, Gabriel, who helped me reconnect my business is now my partner in life and the father of my two children (3 ½ & 1 ½ years old). He has been by my side through so much and in those early days, our “dates” were spent peeling hundreds of pounds of tomatillos in my commercial kitchen, drinking beers, and getting to know each other more. We built this life and business together.
That experience taught me that resilience isn’t just about pushing through—it’s about leaning on your community, embracing change and staying open to the unexpected. Tienda Salsita was built on relationships, quality and tradition, and no matter what challenges come my way, I know I’ll always find a way forward.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
Yes, I manufacture all of my products myself and the process of growing production has been slow. When I first started, I made everything in tiny batches, hand-grinding all of my chiles in a molcajete—even when I was making 100 jars of salsa! That obviously wasn’t scalable, but I was determined to keep the integrity of the process intact. Today, we still stone-grind our salsas, but now we use a traditional molino (stone mill), which allows us to maintain the texture and depth of flavor while producing on a larger scale. We still hand toast all of our chiles and will never give that up.
In the beginning, I had no idea how to sell salsa. My original salsas were fresh and I didn’t want to sell a refrigerated product. I knew I needed to figure out how to make them shelf-stable without sacrificing quality, but I didn’t know where to start. Thankfully, I had an incredible mentor—my boss at the time, who was a jam queen and expert in food preservation. She guided me through the process, showing me who to talk to and how to adapt my techniques to ensure my salsas could be safely canned while still tasting as fresh and vibrant as the day they were made.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that scaling up takes patience. There’s no shortcut when you’re committed to making a high-quality, handcrafted product. Every step—from sourcing the best ingredients to refining our production methods—has been intentional. Growth has been steady, but never rushed, because I believe the best things take time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tiendasalsita.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiendasalsita/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiendasalsita
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenhm/
Image Credits
Credit Emily Valentine photography and Andrea Vodickova (https://www.andreavodickova.com/) As well as Ironwood Farm in Columbia Country NY (https://www.ironwood.farm/)