Sazón
(Puerto Rican seasoning salt)
Sazón means "seasoning" in Spanish. In Puerto Rico, it also refers to a seasoned salt that is widely used in Boricua cooking. The seasonings not only add flavor, but also a subtle reddish-orange hue to many dishes. Many island cooks use the store-bought Goya brand of Sazón. Here is a homemade approximation.
Makes about 1/3 cup
Ingredients
- Ground annatto seeds or paprika -- 1 tablespoon
- Ground coriander -- 1 tablespoon
- Ground cumin -- 1 tablespoon
- Garlic powder -- 1 tablespoon
- Dried oregano -- 2 teaspoons
- Salt -- 1 tablespoon
Method
- Mix all of the ingredients together and store the sazón in an airtight container. It will keep fresh for about 3 months.
- In recipes, use about 1 1/2 teaspoons for each packet of sazón the recipe calls.
Sazón Variations
- Vary the amounts of the various spices to your taste, or eliminate individual spices altogether. Other possible additions include onion powder, tomato powder and saffron. Many of the store-bought types include monosodium glutamate as the primary ingredient.
