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Domestic Gourmet
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Domestic Gourmet

Domestic Gourmet

Flavor that tells a story. Heritage you can taste.

Founded

2023

Founders

Ciji Castro

Industries

Food & Beverage Manufacturing

Stocked at

About the Brand

About

Domestic Gourmet is a cooking brand founded by executive chef Ciji Castro, inspired by her Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage. Its flagship Organic Annatto Oil (Aceite de Achiote) combines organic high-oleic sunflower oil with organic annatto seeds. The brand also offers Adobo and Sazón seasonings and shares recipes for home cooks.

Explore the current collection: https://shop.domesticgourmet.com/

Founding Story

Chef Ciji Castro created Domestic Gourmet to preserve the flavors, memories and stories of her Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage. Family recipes, including her Tía’s frijoles negros, inspired a brand centered on cooking, culture and connection. Ciji shares her own recipes and offers ready-to-use annatto oil and seasonings to help home cooks bring those traditions to the table. Her cooking and Domestic Gourmet Organic Annatto Oil have been featured in Forbes, and WUSF has published her Puerto Rican picadillo recipe.

At a Glance

  • Made from scratch in small batches

  • 100% organic ingredients

  • Spice blends made from fresh organic produce

  • Two-ingredient annatto oil

    organic high-oleic sunflower oil + organic annatto seeds

  • Gift boxes

    including a complete pasteles-making kit (annatto oil, adobo, sazon, parchment paper, and twine)

  • Ships nationwide

    including Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands

  • Step-by-step recipes and tutorials

    in English and Spanish

Signature Products

Tap a product to view details and request a sample.

Domestic Gourmet Organic Adobo

Domestic Gourmet

Food & Beverage / Pantry & Condiments

May be slow to respond Immigrant Owned
Domestic Gourmet Organic Sazón

Domestic Gourmet

Food & Beverage / Food & Beverage

May be slow to respond Organic · Vegan
Organic Annatto Oil — Aceite de Achiote

Domestic Gourmet

Food & Beverage / Pantry & Condiments

May be slow to respond Immigrant Owned
Queen of Nochebuena Box Set

Domestic Gourmet

Food & Beverage / Pantry & Condiments

May be slow to respond Immigrant Owned
Queen of Nochebuena Box Set: Pasteles Edition

Domestic Gourmet

Food & Beverage / Pantry & Condiments

May be slow to respond Immigrant Owned

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Team & Experts

Tap a name to read the full bio.

  • Chef Ciji Castro is the founder and executive chef of Domestic Gourmet. Her recipes and cooking products draw on her Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage. She created the recipes published on Domestic Gourmet’s website and develops practical ways for home cooks to use annatto oil, adobo and sazón. Her cooking has appeared in Forbes, and WUSF published her Puerto Rican picadillo recipe.

Press Coverage

APPLE PODCASTS

Apr 30, 2026

Living with Endometriosis in Hospitality | Ciji Castro on Pain, Advocacy, and Showing Up

Walk-In Talk Podcast episode 195 features Ciji Castro in a conversation about advocacy, resilience, family support and working in hospitality.

Read

CENTRO TAMPA

Dec 21, 2025

Pasteles puertorriqueños como tradición que une generaciones dentro y fuera de la isla

Centro Tampa Bay feature on Ciji Castro’s Puerto Rican pasteles tutorial, produced as a collaboration with Walk-In Talk Media and Ibis Images Photography to preserve her family’s cooking traditions.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Dec 21, 2025

Make simple, creamy and delicious Puerto Rican ‘tembleque’ for the holidays

Ciji Castro demonstrates a Puerto Rican coconut dessert for holiday celebrations.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Dec 21, 2025

Toasting to motherhood and talking energy drinks safety and social media bans in ‘Maggie and the Moms’

Ciji Castro joins the panel to discuss parenting, energy drinks and social media.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Dec 17, 2025

Del Fogón al Mercado: Domestic Gourmet y la Cocina Latina

Ciji Castro introduces Domestic Gourmet and its Latin culinary heritage in a Conexión Latina segment.

Read

CENTRO TAMPA

Nov 24, 2025

El Pan de Calabaza Que Abraza el Alma

Contributed pumpkin bread recipe by Ciji Castro featuring Domestic Gourmet Organic Annatto Oil.

Read

WALK-IN TALK PODCAST

Nov 6, 2025

Cooking Through the Cuts: How Chef Ciji Castro Fights Food Insecurity Through Tradition

Ciji Castro shares resourceful home cooking, puerco guisado, reducing food waste and feeding families through traditional recipes.

Read

WUSF — THE ZEST

Oct 22, 2025

Ciji Casto’s Domestic Gourmet helps you bring tradition to the table

Ciji Castro discusses her Cuban and Puerto Rican roots, Domestic Gourmet’s oils and spices, and lessons from building her culinary business.

Read

CENTRO TAMPA

Sep 18, 2025

Frijoles Negros: La Receta Cubana de Tía Lourdes que Marcó una Historia de Amor

Contributed recipe and personal story by Ciji Castro about her Tía Lourdes’s Cuban black beans.

Read

WALK-IN TALK PODCAST

Sep 11, 2025

Chef Ciji Castro: Reviving Latin Culinary Heritage

Ciji Castro discusses Domestic Gourmet, family recipes, bistec empanizado and preserving Latin cooking traditions.

Read

WUSF — THE ZEST

Sep 4, 2025

Quick & Easy Puerto Rican Picadillo

The Zest publishes Ciji Castro’s Puerto Rican picadillo recipe, featuring Domestic Gourmet annatto oil.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Aug 13, 2025

Annatto oil and onions boost chicken dish perfect for weeknight dinners

Ciji Castro shares pollo encebollado, a family chicken recipe featuring annatto oil and onions.

Read

SPOTIFY

Jun 12, 2025

Breaking Silence: Motherhood, Mental Health, and the Future of Hospitality

Walk-In Talk Podcast interview featuring Ciji Castro and Colleen Silk on motherhood, hospitality, and the connection between food and heritage.

Read

FORBES

Jun 7, 2025

6 Ways To Honor Culinary Wanderlust This Father’s Day

Aly Walansky features Ciji Castro’s Puerto Rican Father’s Day menu and Domestic Gourmet Organic Annatto Oil.

Read

SOUTHERN LIVING

May 8, 2025

Southern Chefs Reveal The Best Cooking Advice They've Ever Received From Their Moms

Ciji Castro shares how her mother’s lessons about quality ingredients and simplicity influence her cooking and Domestic Gourmet.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Apr 6, 2025

When Mom gets a serious diagnosis

Ciji Castro joins Maggie and the Moms for a conversation about navigating a serious diagnosis as a parent.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Mar 23, 2025

Talking taboo topics with your kids

Ciji Castro joins Maggie and the Moms for a panel discussion about difficult conversations with children.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Mar 19, 2025

Create your own yogurt bar

Ciji Castro demonstrates a customizable yogurt bar on Daytime.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Feb 26, 2025

Make an easy and authentic Puerto Rican Picadillo for dinner

Ciji Castro demonstrates an approachable Puerto Rican picadillo dinner.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Dec 19, 2024

Drink up (with eggnog) in holiday-themed ‘Never Have I Ever’

Ciji Castro joins Maggie and the Moms for a holiday-themed conversation and game.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Dec 18, 2024

“Maggie y las Mamás” on parenting Latino kids in the USA

Ciji Castro and Yamel Belen join Maggie Rodriguez to discuss raising Latino children in the United States.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Oct 6, 2024

‘Maggie y Las Mamás’ on growing up in a Hispanic household and raising Latino kids

Ciji Castro joins the panel to discuss Hispanic family traditions and raising Latino children.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Sep 15, 2024

Domestic Gourmet introduces new ways to serve Spanish shrimp dishes

Domestic Gourmet’s Ciji Castro demonstrates Spanish shrimp dishes, including camarones al ajillo.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Sep 15, 2024

The moms wonder ‘Am I a Momster?’ after coming clean about school photos

Ciji Castro joins Maggie and the Moms for a candid parenting-panel conversation.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

May 6, 2024

Lunch from the garden

Daytime visits Ciji Castro’s home garden for a meal made with fresh produce.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Apr 28, 2024

Fresh, delicious recipes using every part of the watermelon

Ciji Castro shares recipes that make use of the whole watermelon.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Dec 28, 2023

Bring good luck in the new year with homemade black-eyed peas

Chef Ciji Castro shares her black-eyed peas recipe for a traditional New Year’s meal.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Dec 10, 2023

Cheers to coquito!

Ciji Castro shares coquito, a traditional Puerto Rican holiday drink.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Oct 17, 2023

‘Liquid gold’: the best recipe for No-Waste Veggie Stock

Ciji Castro demonstrates her no-waste vegetable stock and shares ideas for saving kitchen scraps.

Read

WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)

Oct 3, 2023

Pumpkin Bread gets a healthy makeover

Ciji Castro shares her take on pumpkin bread on Daytime.

Read

TAMPA MAGAZINE

Ciji Castro CEO and Brand Figurehead of Domestic Gourmet

Women to Watch profile featuring Ciji Castro’s culinary background, family recipes and entrepreneurial journey with Domestic Gourmet.

Read

Press Releases

Domestic Gourmet Brings Scratch-Made Latin Flavor to 2026 Holiday Gift Guides

Oct 5, 2026

Domestic Gourmet Brings Scratch-Made Latin Flavor to 2026 Holiday Gift Guides

Giftable Latin pantry staples with samples ready for testing — and the story of a chef compelled to preserve Puerto Rico's ancient pasteles making tradition before it disappears forever..

New Launch · 569 words

Read

Locations

HQ

Headquarters

1188 Kapp Dr., Clearwater, FL 33765

Domestic Gourmet Headquarters

Asset Library

Editorial-ready assets. All images cleared for press use with credit.