It is called “pico de gallo” because the Spanish phrase literally means “rooster’s beak,” and several folk explanations tie the salsa’s name to that image.
Literal meaning
“Pico” in Spanish means “beak” or “bill,” and “gallo” means “rooster,” so the name translates directly as “rooster’s beak.” The dish itself is a fresh, chunky salsa of tomato, onion, chile, lime, and cilantro common in Mexican cuisine.
Main naming theories
One widely cited explanation is that people originally ate it by pinching small amounts between thumb and forefinger, a shape that resembles a rooster’s beak pecking at the food. Another theory is that the minced, grainy texture looks a bit like bird feed or that the sharp, spicy “bite” recalls a rooster’s peck.
Regional story about the chile
In parts of Sonora, Mexico, some people say the name comes from the pointed shape of the serrano chile traditionally used, which can resemble a rooster’s beak. There is no single confirmed origin, but all the explanations connect either how it is eaten, how it looks, or how it feels on the tongue to the image of a rooster’s beak.
