After hours of slicing, dicing, chopping and simmering, the Gila ValleyÕs professional and amateur salsa chefs served up mouth-watering concoctions to an appreciative audience Saturday.

Armed with tortilla chips and discerning taste buds, hundreds of residents and visitors lined up under two different tents for a chance to taste the ValleyÕs best tongue torchers. Included in both the professional and amateur divisions were tomato-based salsas and a variety of fruit salsas.

The SalsaFest included the salsa-making contests, a Festival Marketplace, salsa music, food demonstrations, chili roasting, a kids area and jalape–o and salsa-eating competitions. One of the most popular contests was the jalapeno-eating contest, which drew 11 brave souls onto the stage in front of a large crowd of cheering onlookers. One at a time, the contestants downed as many of the fat, glossy chiles as they could handle. Shawn Turley took home the $100 check for first place after eating 10 raw jalapenos. Second place was tied four ways with Keb Breus, an LDS missionary from Alaska, Nathan Green and Tomas Salcido, who engaged in a hot-lipped eat-off. Salcido walked away with the $50 second-place check and at least 18 jalapenos under his belt. Breus took home the $25 check.

The salsa-eating contest had eight contestants who raced to finish an entire bowl of salsa. First place went to Moe Villalba Sr., and second place went to Megan Resor, a Valley Telecom employee who also participated in the jalapeno contest. Third place went to Arthur Martinez, another jalapeno contestant. All three received checks as well.

ArizonaÕs Salsa Trail includes the small southern Arizona communities of Safford, Pima, Thatcher, Clifton, Duncan, Willcox and York, where there are a dozen Mexican restaurants, a family-owned tortilla factory and a lady who grows chilis. All of them are a part of the Salsa Trail.

The winners of the professional and amateur salsa-making contest are pictured on Page B1.

Salsa winners

Judges Choice

First Place Ñ Steve Valerio

Second Place Ñ Mary Kreig, Rudy Ybarra and Nora Zale (team)

Third Place Ñ Cody Ochoa

PeopleÕs Choice 

Tied for First Place Ñ Mary Coronado and Olivia Martinez

Second Place Ñ Vonda Evans (she got third place money)

Third Place Ñ none awarded because of tie