South Valley-based salsa company gives back to community

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Every weekend, at different markets across the metro, you’ll find Carla Gallegos-Ortega at her salsa stand – but it’s not just salsa.

Gallegos-Ortega has a whole list of things you can buy from New Mexico Sabor.  

“We have salsa, chili sauces, we have chips, we have powdered chilies,” said Carla Gallegos-Ortega, owner of New Mexico Sabor. 

After selling salsa for the last six years, her hobby became more than just adding a little heat to people’s food.  

“The people invest in me, so I want to, you know, give back and invest in my community,” said Gallegos-Ortega.

Portions of the profits Gallegos-Ortega makes from her business are donated back to the community in different ways.  

“We’ve also donated our products like to the Heart Association for the women’s you know, dressed in red, Presbyterian laughter matters,” Gallegos-Ortega said. “We also donate cash.”

New Mexico Sabor’s salsa is made at the South Valley Economic Development Center – a place devoted to revitalizing the economy in New Mexico, by providing a place emerging businesses can use as a hub for resources when they’re starting out.

“We just rent out space as needed. So it’s a great opportunity for small businesses, because we don’t have all the overhead,” said Gallegos-Ortega. 

While Gallegos-Ortega appreciates the tight-knit community of small businesses, that same community opens her eyes up to so much more.

“You see all the different programs that really can use help and, you know, I’ve done volunteering, feeding the homeless, so I have a passion for that kind of stuff,” said Gallegos-Ortega.