Pisqueya 2024: Caribbean Inspired Delights
Maritza Abreu, Founder and CEO of Pisqueya, is dedicated to celebrating Latin culture and her Dominican heritage through a line of all-natural, high-quality food products. Inspired by her parents' entrepreneurial spirit and their restaurant, Puerto Viejo, in Brooklyn, Maritza bottled the family's original hot sauce recipe in 2018. Pisqueya, a blend of "Picante" and "Quisqueya," represents a flavorful homage to her roots, offering authentic Dominican flavors made with the best ingredients and fair labor practices. Through Pisqueya, Maritza aims to inspire others to gather, share traditions, and celebrate authenticity. DeliveryRank finds out more.
Maritza, how do you see Pisqueya's role in reshaping the representation of Latin Caribbean flavors in the global food market, and what does it mean to you to share these authentic tastes with a broader audience?
Authentic Latin Caribbean flavors are underrepresented in the food industry. The very ingredients that represent the vibrancy and culture of Latin Caribbean traditions have been replaced by low value, artificial flavors based on sugar and salt. We're changing that!
The name Pisqueya (pees-keh-yah) honors my ancestors and their natural way of cooking. We source organic peppers and fruits from regenerative farms in the Caribbean to ensure that every bottle is packaged with the most authentic flavors, naturally, without any added fillers. We produce in small batches to deliver fresh taste and quality. Every batch is approved by me or a Pisqueya family member before it goes out and all our sauces and seasonings are packaged in glass to preserve its quality and reduce our carbon footprint.
By reducing the gap in Latin Caribbean representation in the food space, we are living out inclusion and expanding the rich flavor palette of America. Furthermore, we’re creating a new generation of business owners - a generation that celebrates authenticity, inclusion and inspires others to do the same.
Your family's journey from the Dominican Republic to New York City and the establishment of Puerto Viejo is deeply intertwined with Pisqueya's story. How do these experiences influence the way you lead and grow the brand today?
My parents are both true examples of tenacity, commitment and hard work. Their story stands as a testament to all who come to the U.S. in search of a better life, launching their own dream which manifested as the family restaurant that I grew up in and where Pisqueya was born.
It is no easy feat to build a culture forward brand with limited resources. Being witness of the sacrifices my parents made to reach their goals and build an institution in the heart of Brooklyn with even less resources is my foundation of resilience, passion, determination, and vision.
My family built what is today the oldest Dominican restaurant in NYC by sharing their authentic flavors and selves with their community. This influences me to share my story unapologetically and keep on going!… To lead from the heart and from a place of authenticity while remaining malleable to changing circumstances.
What was the process like for developing Pisqueya’s initial hot sauce and subsequent seasoning products, and how do you balance innovation with maintaining traditional family recipes?
It all started in my family kitchen, Puerto Viejo, in Brooklyn.
The original hot sauce recipe made with Dominican scotch bonnet peppers had been passed down for many years, through a line of family cooks. It wasn’t until I left my corporate role to lean into the family business, that I decided to personally respond to the needs of our patrons. Brooklyn wanted the sauce! I bottled the recipe in 2018 and named it Pisqueya, a portmanteau of PIcante (spicy in Spanish) and QuiSQUEYA (kis-keh-yah), the Taíno name for the island which comprises the Dominican Republic and Haiti. I sourced, cooked and tasted each batch myself. I even developed my own variations; jalapeño medium heat and the passion fruit spicy sweet, bringing innovation to the hot sauce category by highlighting the tropical notes that makes our culture unique while preserving the integrity of our family tradition.
Pisqueya has now expanded to seasoning blends such as sazón and adobo also rooted in secret family recipes. The kitchens are bigger these days, but I continue to produce in small batches, using only the best ingredients, and fair labor practices. I source peppers, fruits & oregano directly from farms in the Dominican Republic to ensure that every bottle is packaged with the most authentic flavors, naturally, without any added fillers. By doing so, we remain deeply connected with the culture and heritage while telling our own stories and celebrating our roots through food while inspiring others to embrace their culture and invite others to the table.
Pisqueya is involved in giving back to communities, particularly with animal welfare efforts in the Caribbean. Can you elaborate on why this cause is important to you and how Pisqueya's business practices support such initiatives?
As a Dominican-American, I grew up seeing the differences between both cultures, and animal welfare is one of them. In the Caribbean, there is much less awareness, resources and government support than there is here in the U.S. It is why we extend-a-paw to the animals in the island by donating a portion of our proceeds to local, primarily women-run groups that create a safe place for animals on the island. This is so vital to helping not only the animals, but also to educating the individuals in developing and nurturing respect, kindness and empathy for both animals and people.
As Pisqueya continues to grow, what are your goals for the company, and how do you plan to maintain its authenticity and commitment to quality while expanding its reach?
Pisqueya is the most innovative Latin company in the market and it is the innovation, authenticity and the tropical ingredients that we use that gives us our competitive advantage.
While awareness and reach are priorities in helping our business grow, we will continue to make inroads into major retailers without sacrificing our quality and flavor. To guarantee this, we will continue to strengthen our relationships with family owned farms in the Dominican Republic to secure quality peppers, fruits and herbs that honor the tropical flavors that are true to my culture.
If you would like to find out more about Pisqueya, please visit https://pisqueya.com/