Esta salsa lleva mayonesa, ajo y un poco de pimienta.

This sauce has mayonnaise, garlic, and a bit of pepper.

Breakdown of Esta salsa lleva mayonesa, ajo y un poco de pimienta.

• un: a
• y: and
• de: of
• el poco: the bit

Questions & Answers about Esta salsa lleva mayonesa, ajo y un poco de pimienta.

Why is lleva used here? Doesn’t llevar usually mean to carry or to wear?

Yes, llevar often means to carry, to take, or to wear, but in food contexts it very commonly means to contain, to have in it, or to be made with.

So:

Esta salsa lleva mayonesa, ajo y un poco de pimienta.

means something like:

• This sauce contains mayonnaise, garlic, and a little pepper.
• This sauce is made with mayonnaise, garlic, and a little pepper.

This use is very common in recipes and restaurant descriptions in Spain.

Why is it esta salsa and not este salsa?

Because salsa is a feminine noun in Spanish.

• este = this for masculine singular nouns
• esta = this for feminine singular nouns

So:

• este libro = this book
• esta salsa = this sauce

The demonstrative has to agree with the noun’s gender.

What exactly does esta mean here?