Homemade sazon business grows beyond humble roots

COURTESY JORGE LUIS DIAZ

Jorge Luis Diaz, founder of Sazon Don Jorge in Lincolnton, with his daughter Ana Julia Diaz.

Jorge Luis Diaz migrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic at 10 years old with his parents, searching for better and knowing little English.

Almost five decades later, Diaz lives in Lincolnton with his family, working in construction and enriching foods everywhere with his homemade sazon.  

“The idea came from a family recipe that was created by my mother, Ana Julia Diaz,” he said. “Sazon is a marinade/rub that is used to give food flavor. Most sazons on the market are loaded with sodium and other unhealthy ingredients. Sazon Don Jorge has just 15 miligrams of natural sodium from Spanish olives and oregano from the Dominican Republic.”  

Diaz began selling Sazon Don Jorge, in 2014. Most of his orders came from the Charlotte area.

“We sell nationwide, but the majority of our orders come from Charlotte and surrounding areas,” he said. “We personally deliver and ship the seasoning to our customers.”  
Sazon Don Jorge, the 57-year-old says, is a healthier version of his mother’s original recipe.  

“It is important for people to use this type of seasoning in their cooking because it’s extremely flavorful, it’s all natural and has health benefits,” Diaz said.

In the Hispanic community, sazon is one of the key ingredients when cooking a meal. Many make their own just using simple things as cilantro, garlic, olive oil and different spices.

The marinate can be used for any food, though it is traditionally used to marinate meat, fish and chicken.

In some Hispanic cultures, the pasty marinate is called “recardo” instead of “sazon.”

Though he works full-time elsewhere, Diaz has been able to balance it all with time management, setting a certain amount of time per day to dedicate to his seasoning after working his full-time job. However, Diaz said his end goal is to be able to sell his beloved seasoning full time. In the meantime, he sells his seasoning on his own, sometimes with the help of his three daughters.

“We would like to sell the seasoning online worldwide and in various grocery stores,” he said. 

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