Compete to qualify for the annual Intergalactic Salsa Championship
Join the ultimate salsa competition for food sport athletes!
Discover SoS
Our Mission
At SOS, we are dedicated to providing opportunities for food sport athletes to compete in the dynamic dish of Salsa!
We provide a platform for these talented individuals to showcase their skills and passion for salsa in a fun and competitive environment.
Winners qualify to compete at the annual Intergalactic Salsa Championship on the 2nd Saturday in May (National Salsa Month), when produce is at its freshest, during the town's Annual Picklefest.
SOS Traditions
Official SOS Traditions
SOS Salsa Definition:
SOS Tradition defines salsa as a spicy sauce made from vegetables such as onions, hot peppers, and various other fruits, vegetables, spices, tomatoes, and other ingredients. Seafood and seafood products are prohibited due to potential allergens.
SOS Tradition forbids preference for blended or pico de gallo style, whether cooked or uncooked, or submissions at cold or room temperature. All styles of salsa are permitted. Creativity is encouraged and celebrated.
SOS Competition Season Tradition:
The competition season begins January 1 and ends December 31.
Certified Event Fee Tradition:
SOS Certified events are posted in the Upcoming SOS Events.
The fee to list the event is $25.
This fee is used administratively for website maintenance and upkeep.
- Intergalactic Qualifying Event (IQE) is an SOS Certified Event with 7 or more competitors.
- Regional SOS Event (Regional) is an SOS Certified Event with between 4 and 6 competitors.
SOS does not certify events with fewer than 4 competitors.
To certify an SOS event, use the PayPal link at the bottom of the page to pay the non-refundable Certified Event Fee, then send an email to SocietyOfSalsa@yahoo.com with the event information, including the event name, event address, event date, turn-in time, contact person name, and phone number. The event will be posted in the Upcoming SOS Events once the fee and event information are collected and processed.
Respectfully register the event at least two weeks prior to the event date.
Membership Fee Tradition:
SOS Membership Fees are $20 per competitor, per year. Competitors must be at least 6 years of age to apply for an SOS membership. Membership fees are due at the beginning of each competition season.
Membership fees are non-refundable and are intended to fund the ISC event and cover administrative costs, including licensee fees, membership, and website maintenance.
To become an SOS member, use the PayPal links at the bottom of the page to pay your annual membership fee, then send an email to SocietyOfSalsa@yahoo.com with your name, address, and phone number. You will receive an email with your SOS Member ID once your membership is established. Create an account on the website to register for competitions.
Event Entry Fee Tradition:
SOS Tradition allows active members to register for an SOS Certified Event by emailing the event organizer at the email address listed in the Upcoming SOS Events listing.
The SOS recommends Contestant Entry Fees be set at $20 cash per contestant to be collected by the event organizer.
SOS recommends using Contestant Entry Fees to pay out the awards and the Scribe in 70/30 split.
Intergalactic Salsa Championship Tradition:
Qualified competitors will gather on the 2nd Saturday in May during National Salsa Month, when produce is at its freshest, in Dillsburg, PA, during the Annual Picklefest, to compete in the annual Society of Salsa’s Intergalactic Salsa Championship (ISC) event for the title of Intergalactic Salsa Champion!
Dillsburg is only 30 minutes from Gettysburg, Lake Tobias, Indian Echo Caverns, Gifford Pinchot State Park, Ski Roundtop, and Hersheypark.
The ISC will operate just like a regular SOS event.
The ISC winner, upon winning, will be required to provide their recipe to be posted on the SOS website.
The 1st place ISC winner will be presented with the JWAFI Award.
Any SOS ISC winner will be qualified for life to compete at any future SOS ISC event, provided they are an active member in good standing.
Late Bloomer:
The Late Bloomer event will be held annually on the day before the ISC, and must have at least 4 competitors. Any current SOS member in good standing who is not already qualified for the next day’s ISC may register to compete in the Late Bloomer competition. At a minimum, the top 3 competitors of the Late Bloomer event will qualify to compete at the ISC the next day.
ISC Qualification:
To compete at the annual SOS ISC, a competitor must earn qualification via:
- 1 first-place at an IQE
- 2 first-place at a Regional
- 1 Passing of the Torch
- 1 Viva La Fresca
- Late Bloomer
Passing of the Torch Tradition:
If the 1st place competitor has already qualified for the ISC during the competition season via any qualification method, the qualification (torch) may be passed down to 2nd place.
If the 2nd place competitor is also already qualified during the competition season, the qualification may be passed down to 3rd place.
No further concessions are provided to qualify competitors who place below 3rd place.
Viva La Fresca Tradition:
SOS Tradition allows the organizer to determine if the Viva La Fresca Tradition will be exercised.
Viva La Fresca occurs through public fundraising, sampling, and subsequent voting. The public will pay a fee (SOS recommends $5 per person) to taste the salsas and vote for their favorite using various methods, such as tokens.
Competitors with the most votes from the public sampling (Viva La Fresca) will qualify to compete at the annual ISC.
Viva La Fresca funds will be collected and allocated by the organizer.
The organizer must provide sample cups, such as 2oz soufflé cups
Integrity Tradition:
Competitors must prepare their own salsa submission following all food handling and food safety guidelines, local and state guidelines, policies and rules, and kept at food-safe temperatures.
SOS Tradition forbids any inedible objects from being inside the submission vessel when it is submitted for the Salsa Selection process. An entry submitted with an inedible object will be disqualified.
The Salsa Selection Tradition:
The event coordinator will designate a Salsa Scribe who oversees the Salsa Selection operations.
The event organizer must provide the Scrolls (forms) to the Scribe based on how many competitors are registered/expected for the event.
- 1 Contestant Roster Scroll for each 20 contestants
- 15 Salsa Selection Scrolls for each 20 contestants
- 1 Tally Sheet Scroll for each 20 contestants
The event organizer will provide the Scribe with the official Salsa Submission Vessels to distribute to the registered competitors. SOS Tradition recommends a standard 12-oz, 16-oz, or 32-oz cup with a lid (Organizer, use your best discretion to decide the amount of salsa required for turn-in), with a double-raffle ticket taped to the outside. **Do not stick the numbers to the tape adhesive.** The Competitor will fill the cup to the appropriate level, pull off their half of the ticket when they submit their Salsa, and supply the numbers at announcements.
Event Timeline:
The recommended event timeline is:
8:00 - 8:15 am: Contestant Registration, Collection of Entry Fees and distribution of submission vessels
8:45 - 9:00 am: Contestant submits salsa to the Salsa Selection area
9:00 - 9:30 am: Salsa Selection Process
9:30 - 10:00 am: Scribe the Scrolls
10:00 am: Announcements
The Salsa Selection Area:
The Salsa Selection area should have tasting spoons, empty boxes to collect used spoons, palate cleaners (which may include green grapes, tortilla strips, or tortilla chips), bottled water, paper towels/napkins, scrolls, and at least one 6-foot table.
The Scribe will receive each competitor's submission at the designated location/time.
The Scribe will stage the Salsa Selection table with the submissions and number the outside of each cup beginning with the number 1, so the Salsa Selectors know which cup they’re scoring.
The Salsa Selection Process:
Salsa Selectors will approach the Salsa Selection table at any cup number and begin tasting the first submission with a plastic spoon. Salsa Selectors will critique each submission on its own merit, providing feedback on the Salsa Selector Scroll for the CUP NUMBER they are tasting, and cleansing their palates between tastes using the same palate cleanser each time, until all submissions have been tasted. Salsa Selectors will then write in their top three favorite submissions ranked as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and an Honorable Mention selection on the Salsa Selection scroll, and return the scroll to the Scribe. Honorable Mention does not need to be a different cup from the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd selection.
Scribing Tradition:
Once all Salsa Selection Scrolls are returned to the Scribe, the Scribing Tradition will begin.
The Scribe will validate the number of Salsa Selector Scrolls expected against the number returned, quickly review each scroll for signature and the appropriateness of comments, and review the top 3 selections and the honorable mention selection.
Using the Tally Sheet Scroll, the Scribe will begin recording the points awarded to cup numbers selected for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place votes.
- 1st place = 3 points
- 2nd place = 2 points
- 3rd place = 1 point
- Honorable Mention is used for Tongue-Tie breaks
(For this example, the Salsa Selection Scroll has cup 8 for 1st place, cup 4 for 2nd place, and cup 6 for 3rd place, with cup 2 as Honorable Mention. On the tally sheet scroll, the Scribe will record 3 points for cup 8, 2 points for cup 4, and 1 point for cup 6.)
The Scribe will repeat the point assignments for all remaining Salsa Selection scrolls.
The Scribe will total each cup’s points in the space provided on the Tally Sheet scroll to determine the winning cups. The cup with the highest number of points will be the winning submission. The Scribe will write on the lids of the top 3 submissions and the top Honorable Mention.
Tongue-Tie Breaking Tradition:
Tongue-Ties for the top 3 places will be broken.
If two cups (cup 5 and cup 8) have the same number of points for 1st place, the Scribe will review the Honorable Mentions. If cup 5 has more Honorable Mentions than cup 8, then cup 5 wins the tongue-tie. If Honorable Mentions does not break the tongue-tie, then the Scribe will count how many Salsa Selectors selected each cup. If cup 8 has MORE votes than cup 5, then cup 8 wins the tongue-tie.
If the tongue-tie cannot be broken, then create 3 fresh Salsa Selection Scrolls clearly labeled as Tongue-Tie Breaker, and clearly mark the cup numbers involved. Select 3 Salsa Selectors to perform a round of Salsa Selection on those two cups to select their first and second place selections. The Salsa Scribe will tally the tongue-tie breaker Salsa Selection sheets to determine first and second place of the tie.
Allocating Awards Tradition:
SOS Tradition requires a prize for 1st place. A prize may consist of the certificates provided in the AwardTemplate.pdf, a recycled trophy from the BYOT program, a gift basket, or other donated prize items. SOS Tradition allows using the Contestant Entry Fees to fund the awards in a 70/30 split, with 70% to be divided among the top 3 places and 30% to the Scribe for their efforts and time.
Announcements Tradition:
The Scribe will lead the announcements. Beginning with 3rd place, the Scribe will pull the tape off the cup and read the ticket number. The Contestant must provide their matching half of the ticket to claim their standing. Repeat with 2nd place, then announce Viva La Fresca, Honorable Mention, ending with 1st place.
SOS Return the Scrolls Tradition:
The event organizer must scan/email all the completed scrolls from the event to SocietyOfSalsa@yahoo.com within 14 days of the event commencement. Winners will be posted to the SOS website.
SOS BYOT Tradition:
SOS BYOT Tradition is the Bring Your Own Trophy Tradition, where contestants can donate an old trophy that can easily be reused. If it’s monogrammed, it may not work for the BYOT program. Organizers may accept the trophy, modify it by removing the credentials, and use it at future SOS events. Hand-made trophies/awards may also be donated to the BYOT program. Creativity is encouraged and celebrated.
SOS Consulting Members:
Amber Willis * James McCusker * Judi Omerza (JWAFI) * Nathan Gramm * Domino Ireland
SOS Owners:
Amber Willis * James McCusker
est. 2025, Latest Update: 6/5/2026 ®️
Annual Membership
Event Certification Fee
Event Certification Fee
Become an SOS Member or
Renew your Membership
Click the PayPal link to pay the annual membership fee.
New members: email SocietyOfSalsa@yahoo.com with your name, address, and phone number to receive your member ID.
Renewing members: email SocietyOfSalsa@yahoo.com with your name, and member ID to register your renewal request.
Event Certification Fee
Event Certification Fee
Event Certification Fee
Register to Certify an SOS Event
Click the PayPal link to pay the Event Certification Fee, then email SocietyOfSalsa@yahoo.com with the event details: Event Name, Location, Date, Time, Organizer Name and contact information.