Food - Drink
How Pico De Gallo May Have Gotten Its Name
By MEGGAN ROBINSON
Fresh pico de gallo is a lively combination of onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, tomato, and salt, designed to add color, texture, flavor, and heat to Mexican-inspired dishes, though pico de gallo can work with flavors from around the globe.
Pico de gallo likely dates back to the Aztec civilization that ruled what is now central Mexico back in the 15th and early 16th centuries, according to Brittanica. The Aztecs spoke a language called Nahuatl, but that isn't where we got the name "pico de gallo."
The Spanish term "pico de gallo," which translates as "rooster's beak," has its roots in how the condiment used to be eaten. The bright, fresh combination of peppers, onions, and tomatoes used to be picked up by the index finger and thumb, making the hand into the shape of a pecking rooster's beak.