Roy Guzman doesn't remember tasting his mother's peach salsa as a child. But in February of 1998 when he found her recipe in an old spiral notebook, Guzman decided to make a batch. "When I first heard about peach salsa on a trip to Aruba, I had the same reaction as many people do. I turned my nose up," he said. "But when I tried it, I liked it ... After I found my mother's recipe, I was interested to see how it stood up next to other peach salsas I had tasted." Guzman soon discovered what the rest of the world is beginning to realize -- his mother's recipe didn't just stand up next to other peach salsas, it towered over them. In one year, Guzman's Peach Salsa has gone from a handwritten recipe in a long-forgotten notebook to part of an expanding and increasingly popular gourmet salsa family. Three varieties of Guzman's Peach Salsa (hot, medium and mild) have been joined by Guzman's Cranberry Salsa, Blueberry, Applecrest, Cranapple,Tropical Passion, Mango, Razberry, Black bean & Corn, Tequila Lime and Wow. More exciting salsa flavors are on the way. But it all started with an old Mexican recipe. Forgotten Treasure Recovering from surgery in early 1998, Roy Guzman had plenty of time to pore over the belongings of his mother Carmen who had passed away in June of 1997. A surprisingly speedy recovery and the desire to see his mother. s recipe come to life had Roy Guzman searching for ingredients, jars and a place to create the salsa. "I'm not sure what possessed me to get jars rather than just mixing and storing the salsa in a container," Guzman recalls. "When I went looking for jars, I found that I could only get them by the gross, which is 144 jars. That was more than I needed." He didn't know it at the time, but Guzman would soon need those jars -- and a lot more. By April of 1998, Roy and his wife Katie were chopping and mixing peaches, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, jalapenos and other ingredients in the family kitchen. The taste was adjusted until it was perfect -- which is what it had to be before Roy would share his mother's recipe with anyone. Roy created his own labels, slapped them on the jars and began carting the initial shipment of Guzman's Peach Salsa to friends. Bobby Esposito, the owner of a popular local blues club, The Big Easy, received a supply for his happy hour patrons; so did the folks at the local VFW. On May 1st, Campbell's Market bought the first case of Guzman's Peach Salsa. "From there, we were off and running," Roy says. "They couldn't keep it on the shelf." We Need More! The challenge for the Guzman's soon became keeping up with demand. That demand was driven by, quite literally, word of mouth. People tried Guzman's Peach Salsa. People fell in love with Guzman's Peach Salsa. People wanted more Guzman's Peach Salsa. And so the cycle went, forcing Guzman to move his production and bottling operation from his own kitchen to the Elm Street Methodist Church to the local American Legion hall and eventually to a full-size kitchen and a staff of seven in a matter of months. Each week, nearly 2,000 jars of Guzman's Salsa find their way to the shelves of more than 300 stores in Maine and New Hampshire. That number is growing and Guzman's Salsa will soon be distributed in a four-state area of the Midwest. Each day, more people try Guzman's Salsa and discover that the care with which it is prepared makes all the difference. The result is a salsa that offers a sweet yet tangy sensation. More Taste Sensations Are On The Way As Guzman's Salsa grows, so too will the variety of taste sensations available! Roy Guzman is constantly working to create and perfect new flavors. Guzman's takes pride in creating only the highest quality salsa. No flavor makes its way out the door until Roy Guzman is sure that his mother would be proud to see the family name on the jar. As new flavors pass Roy's discerning taste test, we will be sure to let you know. Keep your eyes open at your favorite grocery stores and visit www.guzmans.com. In the meantime, enjoy Guzman's Peach Salsa in Hot, Medium and Mild, Guzman's Medium Cranberry Salsa, Guzman's Medium Mandarin Orange Salsa, Blueberry, Applecrest, Cranapple, Tropical Passion, Mango, Razberry, Black bean & Corn, Tequila Lime, and Wow. If your favorite market or grocery store doesn't carry Guzman's Salsa, ask them what they're waiting for! © Guzman's Enterprises 895 Broadway· South Portland, ME 04106 P: 207-761-1774 · F: 207-761-2166 Call us toll free at 1-866-GUZMANS! Or email us at guzmans1998@yahoo.com guzman1998@yahoo.com