Fortunately, most Mexican salsas use basic ingredients that can be easily found in any store or ordered online. Mexican-grown chiles will probably be your biggest challenge, and they can be readily found online (see below).
Authentic Mexican ingredients have become ever easier to source in many parts of the country. If you live in or near a large city, you need only search for Mexican or Latin markets to stock up on all the basics.
It’s essential to seek out a few produce vendors who are passionate about ripe, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Bear in mind that ripe, flavorful produce may not always be shiny and perfect.
If you garden, a patch (or a few pots) of Mexican herbs (oregano, marjoram, epazote, and cilantro) will add authentic flavor to your cooking.
And of course, there is always the Internet. Here are a few good online sources.
Dried chiles—Always choose Mexican-grown chiles for best results. The optimum source, hands down, for authentic Mexican-sourced chiles, spices, and herbs, is the Chile Guy,
www.thechileguy.com.
Canned goods—Canned chipotles and tomatillos, Maseca masa, corn husks, cooking utensils, and more can be purchased from
mexgrocer.com. Also,
igourmet.com is a terrific site with more “gourmet” Mexican products such as artisanal chocolates and salsas, but note that many of their chiles are not Mexican.