Cooks tend to get set in their ways. If you grew up making your grandmother’s pozole rojo with ancho, guajillo and cascabel chiles, that’s how you’re going to make it forever. Carrying on tradition is beautiful, if a little intense. And yet when it comes to salsas, a lot of cooks in Mexico experiment and invent in a mind-set of uninhibited creativity. The role of any salsa is to complement and catapult the joy of eating, so shouldn’t it be a joy to make? When it’s time to make salsa, it’s time to play.

The direct translation of the word salsa is “sauce,” but it’s more than a condiment. Salsa is a quintessential part of the Mexican table, a seasoning that tickles and gratifies the palate, an accompaniment that adds depth, poignancy and zest often in the form of spicy, sweet and sour flavors.

While salsa arrived as a commercial good in the United States only in the 1980s, salsas have existed in present-day Mexico long before the arrival of the Europeans in the 15th century. The ancient Náhuatl word molli was for a sauce made from grinding or smashing chiles. Mole comes from molli and is a cooked, ground salsa that reaches deep into the soul and latches on. It’s earthy and warming with the opposite energy of a bright and punchy hot sauce. And yet, they’re both salsas.

Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Sue Li. Prop Stylist: Sarah Smart.

The salsa spectrum is wide and wonderful, a great gateway to Mexican cooking because it’s the base for so many dishes and because it goes with so many more. These five tips will change the way you prepare and use salsa — and transform the way you cook at home:

When you’re feeling overwhelmed by the task of what to make for dinner, it all falls into place if you do one thing: Just make salsa! Once the salsa is made, try it with daily dishes: breakfast tacos, rotisserie chicken, grilled shrimp, roasted vegetables. Each salsa’s versatility is expansive. What couldn’t a smoky chipotle salsa go on? It can be eaten on everything in sight. And I learned that whether I’m making a traditional Mexican dish or even just a basic sandwich or bowl of pasta, salsa always has a place at the table — and always makes things better.

The truth is, you can make salsa with nearly anything your heart desires. If I teach you one thing, it’s to set your expectations free. All the produce in the market is fair game. If you’re not sure what to buy, pick up common salsa ingredients, such as tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, white onions, herbs, chiles and avocado. (Lime juice is almost exclusively used as a salsa ingredient in the United States, but not necessarily in Mexico where cut limes accompany every meal.)