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
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Made from scratch in small batches
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100% organic ingredients
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Spice blends made from fresh organic produce
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Two-ingredient annatto oil
organic high-oleic sunflower oil + organic annatto seeds
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Gift boxes
including a complete pasteles-making kit (annatto oil, adobo, sazon, parchment paper, and twine)
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Ships nationwide
including Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
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Step-by-step recipes and tutorials
in English and Spanish
Signature Products
Tap a product to view details and request a sample.
Domestic Gourmet
Food & Beverage / Pantry & Condiments
Domestic Gourmet
Food & Beverage / Food & Beverage
Domestic Gourmet
Food & Beverage / Pantry & Condiments
Domestic Gourmet
Food & Beverage / Pantry & Condiments
Domestic Gourmet
Food & Beverage / Pantry & Condiments
Team & Experts
Tap a name to read the full bio.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)
Mar 19, 2025
Create your own yogurt bar
Ciji Castro demonstrates a customizable yogurt bar on Daytime.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)
Dec 10, 2023
Cheers to coquito!
Ciji Castro shares coquito, a traditional Puerto Rican holiday drink.
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.
WFLA-TV (TAMPA, FL)
Oct 3, 2023
Pumpkin Bread gets a healthy makeover
Ciji Castro shares her take on pumpkin bread on Daytime.
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.
Press Releases
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..
Locations
Headquarters
1188 Kapp Dr., Clearwater, FL 33765
Domestic Gourmet Headquarters
Asset Library
Editorial-ready assets. All images cleared for press use with credit.