Kuali

People

Janeen and Rodrigo Cruz

Where

Oakland

About

Wife-and-husband duo Janeen and Rodrigo Cruz started Kuali in 2020 to stay connected to their Mexican heritage and culture. Janeen is the daughter of Mexican immigrants from El Ejido Hermosillo, Baja California, Mexico, and Rodrigo immigrated from México City over 20 years ago. At the farmers market, Kuali offers spicy, crunchy salsa macha, which originated in Veracruz, Mexico. The indigenous Totonac people ground dried chiles, sesame seeds, and salt, for a deeply flavorful paste. In modern times and across the diaspora, there are many variations of salsa macha, including Kuali’s oil-based recipe that was passed down to Rodrigo from his mother, Mely.

Sourcing

Kuali sources both locally from small farms and producers and in Mexico.