#MarketMonday vendor Aji Gourmet Products

I was born and raised in Colombia to a Canadian mother and a Colombian father. I attended Post Secondary at the University of New Brunswick and later pursued Equine Studies at Grant McEwan College in Alberta. After finishing school I returned to Colombia where I pursued work with horses, as well as developing therapeutic toys for preschools and hospital physiotherapy departments.

Colombia is a culturally rich country filled with heartwarming people, music, celebration, family, and exceptionally diverse cuisine. The one thing tying all of these things together was always Ají, a traditional South American condiment. I created my own recipe of Ají, which we always had stocked in our kitchen to enjoy.

In 1999 I moved to Canada with my husband and our two children, where we settled in British Columbia. I brought my recipe of Ají with us so that we could always enjoy a little taste of home.

One day I decided to share my Ají at my son’s hockey gathering, so I added it to an avocado to make guacamole. The response was overwhelming. They said that it was something that they have never tasted before. I could see that it excited them. It felt amazing to experience so many people enjoying something I made myself. I was so touched and proud.

It was this moment that I decided to turn my Ají into a business. It became a dream of mine to share it with the world. In 2005, I started Ají Gourmet Products and sold my first jar to a local store in South Surrey, BC. Today, my husband, two children and I sell 8 Ají products to retailers across British Columbia and Alberta.