Illyanna Maisonet, the James Beard award–winning food writer, cookbook author and first Puerto Rican food columnist in the United States, collaborated with us on these personal, deeply flavorful blends. Sázon and Adobo bring the flavors of Puerto Rican food to your kitchen, while Cali Guisada is the recreation of a childhood flavor-memory of Mexican-American slow-cooked guisadas (stews) in the Central Valley, CA. All three blends are wonderfully versatile and can be used in alone or in combination.
These blends are salt-free.
ADOBO & SAZÓN :
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“Just like every family has their own way of making coquito and arroz con gandules, each family has a personal blend of adobo seasoning spices: turmeric for deep color, oregano for deep flavor and garlic for deep soul! Adobo seasoning has endless possibilities as an addition to dry rubs and wet marinades. Use it for roasted chicken, barbecue and grilled seafood.” -IllyannaIngredients:
Garlic powder, black pepper, oregano buds, turmeric, cumin
- Season grilled fish or chicken
- Add to a stew or braise
- Add to a pot of beans
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"Sazón means identity, history, and comfort and creates the foundational flavor of Puerto Rican food. A savory, earthy blend based on garlic, cumin and achiote seeds, this sazón is made with wild achiote sourced directly from San Sebastián, Puerto Rico, and it brings tons of flavor without any MSG or salt. I use it on my pork shoulder roasts, moles and stews." -IllyannaIngredients:
Garlic powder, wild achiote, cumin, turmeric, coriander
- Slow cooked meat or vegetables
- Stirred into a pot of rice
- Arroz con gandules, picadillo, empanadillas
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“Created from a taste memory of the slow-cooked Mexican-American guisadas and Steak Chicana I grew up on in the California’s Central Valley, this blend balances sun-dried tomato powder with smoked paprika, toasted onion and garlic for a rich, hours-long braised flavor. Use this blend in stews, taco fillings and pollo al carbon. I urge you to add a healthy amount of spicy chiles (fresh, dried or ground) to complement the full complexity of Cali Guisada.” -IllyannaIngredients:
Tomato powder, garlic, shallot, onion, smoked pimentón, paprika, oregano, Cobanero chili, bay leaf, cumin
- Long-cooked braises and stews
- Taco or burrito filling
- Pollo al carbon
RECIPES
SOURCING
ABOUT ILLYANNA MAISONET
Illyanna is the first Puerto Rican food columnist in the country, and she's a classically trained cook. She has dedicated her career to documenting Puerto Rican recipes, including her family's, and preserving the Puerto Rican diaspora's disappearing foodways through rigorous, often bilingual research. She is a James Beard Award winner and her work has been featured in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Saveur, Eating Well, Food 52, SF Chronicle and The Takeaway podcast.
Learn more at illyannamaisonet.com