Sazón Goya celebrates 50 years of rich flavors and an even richer family history

Sazón Goya products are known for their rich flavors, but the company also has a rich family history. 

The special seasoning, which is a staple in many Hispanic kitchens, has a family history spanning three generations. This year, they’re celebrating a major milestone -- their 50th anniversary. 

“I think my grandfather would be amazed. Amazed that the company has grown to the size that it is and amazed to see that we’ve continued to be a part of driving that,” said Natalia Ortega, a product manager at Sazón Goya. 

Natalia Ortega is the granddaughter of Sazón Goya founder, Jose “Pepe” Antonio Ortega Bonet.

Jose Senior was born in Havana, Cuba, but fled his homeland during Castro’s communist revolution.

The Cuban exile then spent time in Miami and Colombia, but eventually ended up in Puerto Rico where he worked for a condiment company. 

“He noticed that the product line was not really suited for the Latin or Puerto Rican taste in this case in particular, so he started experimenting with blends and mixing different spices and aromas,” said Jose Ortega Jr., General Manager of Sazón Goya. 

Jose Senior’s son, Jose Ortega, who is also known as “Pepe” now works in the family business.

Jose Junior described to NBC6 growing up with his father’s visionary ideas for combining Latin flavors. 

“Eventually one day he realized he had hit the jackpot and I as a kid remember him saying ‘I know what it’s going to be called. It’s going to be called Sazón’ and his eyes twinkled,” said Ortega Jr. 

Jose Senior founded Sazón Goya in the 1960’s and then the company teamed up with the Unanue family, the founders of Goya Foods. 

“He spoke to my dad and my uncles and they decided to partner and they created Sazón in 1973. We’re like family. We’ve known each other for 50 years and we’ve seen their kids grow up and they’ve seen my kids grow up,” said Frank Unanue, President of Goya Foods of Florida and Sazón Goya.

That historic partnership took off and they eventually built a factory in South Florida, in Doral. The bold seasonings and spice blends of Sazón Goya have now become a household name. 

“It’s not just for Hispanics. It’s a great product. It adds flavor, and if you need to add color to your food, it can also do that. It just makes everything taste better. You come out using this product like a professional chef,” said Unanue. 

Jose Senior passed away in 2009 and now his granddaughter, Natalia, is paving her own path in the family business. Father and daughter share the same exact office which used to belong to Jose Senior. 

“I feel very lucky to be a part of that. I feel very lucky to be keeping my grandfather’s legacy alive. There’s no doubt that the commitment that I feel to my work here and the amount of fulfillment I feel in my day to day job, has a lot to do with the fact that I know the origin stories and I’ve heard them from the mouths of my father, aunts, and my grandfather. It’s very special,” said Natalia Ortega. 

After reaching success, Jose Senior was also an active philanthropist who donated to numerous nonprofits, including La Liga Contra el Cancer and many more.

He also created The Ortega Foundation which aims to improve the lives of residents in Miami-Dade by providing scholarships for access to quality education.

The Ortegas hope that family connection and legacy continues to come through in their products.

“I learn from the stories that salesmen tell me when I’m out in the field with them and they recall experiences that they had with my grandfather. I feel like I’m deepening my relationship with him in a very special way by caring for this thing that he invented in his own kitchen,” said Natalia Ortega. 

“50 years. I think my dad would be happy that we’re sitting here talking about him,” said Jose Jr. 

As part of their 50th anniversary celebrations, you could soon see representatives from Sazón Goya at your local supermarkets starting in September. The company is going on tour, doing giveaways and connecting with their loyal customers across the U.S. 

More information on Sazón Goya can be found here.