Looking for Lizano Salsa

[anonymoose]

I'm looking for Lizano Salsa (from Costa Rica), preferably in Edmonton but other places in Alberta or maybe even Vancouver will be okay too.

In Edmonton, Paraiso Tropical said they have carry the same kind of sauce but from a different brand, so I will likely try that one and see how it tastes. The person who answered the phone at El Rancho Latin Market told me they didn't speak English and hung up on me.

I'd prefer to avoid ordering it online and paying for shipping costs and/or customs. :(

[Bob Mac]

LOL...good customer relations from El Rancho...yikes

[squeegeeboy]

Only spot we have found it (close to Vancouver) is in Pike Place Market, where there is a Latin groceria that carreis it. Very VERY hard to find from our experience, and like you we were not interested in ordering a case from Unilever.

[grayelf]

I wonder if South China Seas might have it -- they carry a few sauces from Central America...

[fmed]

flowbee posted that Art Knapp's in Surrey had the best hot sauce selection in the Vancouver area:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/580606
http://www.artknapp.ca/

Worth a phone call?

[anonymoose]

It's not a hot sauce but I'll give them a call anyway! Thanks fmed.

[fmed]

Ah yes...I see that it is more akin to HP sauce. I'll keep an eye out.

[anonymoose]

Thanks grayelf I'll make sure to check them. Is this the same company that had a location on Granville Island?

[Sam Salmon]

Consider ordering online from someone who will ship *USPS EXPRESS MAIL*, it's fast not expensive at all.

I say this because although I've seen it @ El Sureño on Commercial Drive in YVR the bottles were old and the contents-which aren't an attractive colour to begin with-looked slimy and yucky.

[grayelf]

Yes it is (the Johnston Street address) but I just called both and neither have it :-(. Maybe you could give us a bit more info as I think we were all assuming it was a hot salsa/sauce...

[truthserum]

If you have any connections out East, there have been several responses to a similar query in the Ontario board.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/626252

[grayelf]

I found a reference to the Lizano brand being purchased by Knorr on some webpage but I could not find any evidence of that happening. I also now know that it is a veggie based condiment but not at all like a hot sauce :-)

[Sam Salmon]

Salsa Lizano is a thin vaguely fruity brown sauce in the HP mould, content details here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salsa_Li...

It only tastes good in Costa Rica-because Tico food is so uniformly awful.

[anonymoose]

The taste is odd, but when I added it to rice and beans it was soooo good.
The closest I could think of for taste was a V8 but without the tomato, and more spices.
Recipes recommend substituting Worcestershire sauce.

Thanks for the help everybody.

[fmed]

Found (as Sam posted earlier) at El Sureno on Commercial Dr. The bottles looked new and clean.

Anonymoose - if you wish, contact me through the http://vanchow.ning.com group and I will mail you a bottle.

[raidar]

Great find fmed.

[anonymoose]

Aw, that's so sweet! I'm going out of town but will probably let you know sometime next week. Thank you!

[lovinitt]

FYI-i found it on ebay & amazon- (ebay was cheapier) I purchased 8 bottles and the shipping was bad at all $11- Dont get me wrong i would love to be able to walk in to a store and buy it.

[anonymoose]

Just wanted to update - a relative in Vancouver bought some for me and is bringing it to me this weekend. Was about the same price as on eBay, but without the shipping charge.

Thanks again for the help everybody!

[Jetgirly]

Next time you call El Rancho, say: "Lo siento, no hablo espagnol. Tiene salsa Lizano?" If they answer with a whole bunch of words in Spanish, just keep repeating, "Salsa Lizano, si or no?"