Flavor of tomatillo(little tomoto) add kick to a salsa

A member of the prolific nightshade family that include potatoes, peppers and eggplants, tomatillo means "little tomato."

It resembles a small, green tomato, but similar to its cousin, the cape gooseberry, it's enclosed in a papery husk. Other names include jamberry, Mexican husk tomatoes, tamates and tomate verde.
The tomatillo (tohm-ah-TEE-oh) hails from Mesoamerica, was widely refined by the Aztecs and still grows wild from southern Texas to the highlands of Guatemala. Today, it also is grown in India, Australia and South Africa.

Mexican food authority Rick Bayless recommend the variety with a purplish blush, but to get them, you might have to grow them yourself.

To use, take away husks and wash off the sticky residue. A little dishwashing soap helps, but you'll need to clean thoroughly. Tomatillos can be used raw, but roasting intensify flavor.