Quick, what's the most popular condiment in the world?

Did you say ketchup? You're close, but when the dust settles, salsa edges ketchup, according to most industry watchers. While ketchup is gaining more and more acceptance even among haute cuisine chefs as a valid sauce, salsa still gets the edge in both culinary and tableside uses.

Traditionally, the term salsa -- direct translation: sauce -- refers to a tomato-based mixture flavored with cilantro, peppers, chilies and onions. In practical use, though, you'll find salsa made with mangos and other fruit, corn, black beans and a huge variety of other ingredients.

The one binding factor is spice. Most people think of heat when they think of salsa, anywhere from a mild warmth to a tongue-blistering assault on the senses. The problem with the salsas on the higher end of the heat spectrum is that the heat frequently bludgeons the taste into submission.

So, for this test, we've selected "medium" heat salsas. One of the criteria for the testers was whether the heat supplied fit their perception of the designation. Did it make them sweat? Was it more akin to ketchup than salsa? There was a wide range of possible assessments.

Each salsa was evaluated by the testing panel of five adults on aroma, taste, heat and appearance. All samples were at room temperature to allow for maximum flavor. They were tasted using corn tortilla chips, a judgment call oriented toward giving a result most likely to be relevant to real-world use. Each tester awarded a maximum of 20 total points to each salsa, for a possible perfect score of 100.

Nutritional information is given for each salsa.

Don Pablo Restaurant Style: 10 calories, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 2 grams carbs

This one had a strong tomato flavor that really blanketed the other flavors in the salsa. It was somewhat watery, with an aroma that spoke of tomatoes and just a hint of cilantro. The heat was largely nonexistent. Final score: 72.

Pace Chunky Salsa: 10 calories, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 240 mg sodium, 3 grams carbs

The onions were the first thing to hit the nose in the aroma, but they didn't dominate the flavor. There was a good note of garlic, but no cilantro flavor at all. The heat was definitely present, with one tester proclaiming it too high to be called medium, but the others were fairly pleased. Final score: 84.

Taco Bell Thick and Chunky: 15 calories, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 210 mg sodium, 3 grams carbs

The aroma was nicely rich, not dominated by tomato or any other ingredient. The flavor, though, didn't follow through on the promise, with a bitter note detected by all testers that was not at all pleasing. The heat was spot-on for a medium salsa. Final score: 75.

Tostitos All-Natural Chunky: 10 calories, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 2 grams carbs

The aroma here was very light, but spoke of the vinegar and jalapenos in the mix. The flavor was nicely balanced, with the onions and tomatoes leading the dance with good notes of jalapeno and garlic. There wasn't much of a cilantro hit, if any, but the heat was perfectly modulated. Final score: 91.

Old El Paso Thick and Chunky: 10 calories, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 2 grams carbs

For a salsa that calls itself chunky, this one was rather pasty. It was thick, but all the ingredients were fairly well blended together. The aroma was excellent, with good spice notes. However, it tasted very tomatoey, without much other flavor or heat. Final score: 83.

Newman's Own All Natural Chunky: 10 calories, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 105 mg sodium, 3 grams carbs

Of all the salsas tested, this was the one that most reminded the tasters of something freshly made tableside at a Mexican restaurant. The sodium was the lowest in the test by far, letting the vegetables really shine through. This was the only one in the test with a real cilantro hit, and it accented the heat perfectly. The final score was a category-best 96. The four missing points were small deductions for aroma, which wasn't quite as rich as the flavor indicated it should be.

Newman's Own was also the most expensive in the test, but very much worth it.

However, the Tostitos salsa, at about half the price, would have to win as the best buy in the comparison.