What does 'pico de gallo' literally translate to in English?

“Pico de gallo” literally translates into English as “rooster’s beak.”

The phrase is the familiar name for a fresh Mexican salsa, usually made from chopped tomato, onion, serrano pepper, cilantro, lime juice and salt. It is also called salsa fresca, salsa cruda, salsa picada or salsa mexicana, depending on the region and preparation.

The literal translation does not have one universally proven origin. One explanation, especially associated with Sonora, says the serrano pepper resembles a rooster’s beak. Food writer Sharon Tyler Herbst reported another tradition: people originally ate the mixture by pinching pieces between the thumb and forefinger, like a bird pecking. Rick Bayless and Deann Groen have suggested that its minced texture may also resemble bird feed.

“Bird’s beak” and “chicken beak” are understandable paraphrases, but they are not the standard literal translation. “Rooster” is the conventional English equivalent of gallo, while pico means “beak” or “point.”