Puerto Ricans commonly use a spice blend known as Sazon, which most are familiar with as the little orange seasoning packets that Goya sells. Although many (including myself) think it is delicious, Sazon has come under increasing scrutiny for its artificial ingredients. And rightly so, as we are generally better off sticking to natural ingredients. In this post, we'll show you how to make a great-tasting sazon, without all of the artificial ingredients!
Ingredients:
1 tbs salt
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tsp coriander
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp annatto powder
Sazon is an extremely popular seasoning blend in Puerto Rico and probably most popular amongst the different forms of sazon is the Sazon Goya.
This blend, although tasty, is primarily composed of monosodium glutamate (aka MSG), as well as other artificial ingredients, including Yellow 5, Tricalcium Phosphate, and Red 40.
The scientific data on these ingredients is mixed, and this is not the place for a full exploration of the merits of including artificial ingredients in your diet. That said, it is generally agreed that some caution is merited when straying from natural ingredients and, thus, many people try to avoid things like MSG and artificial colorings.
And so, if you are looking to make your own sazon, in order to avoid any artificial flavorings, we can use the blueprint Goya provides and make it ourselves at home.
After leaving out all of the artificial ingredients in store-bought sazon, we are left with five ingredients: salt, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, and annatto powder. Once you’ve got your spices in hand, go ahead and measure them out. I’ve shared the amounts I use, but feel free to adjust the ratios as you see fit.
Once you’ve measured out your ingredients, add them to a large bowl and mix together briskly, to combine thoroughly. Once mixed, store your sazon in an air-tight container, to protect it from the humidity.
Check out our instructional video, showing how to make this recipe step-by-step HERE.