EL VIEJOSPICE

Mi Viejo

Before there was El Viejo, there was mi viejo.

My dad, Raul. Mi viejo.

In Spanish, mi viejo is an affectionate way to say “my old man.” It's what I call my dad, and it's where El Viejo gets its name.

Raul smiling as he holds his granddaughter at the park.

Where it began

Our family's roots are in Mérida, Yucatán. El Secreto was my great-grandmother's recipe, passed down through the family and carried with us to Katy, Texas.

Black-and-white portrait of my grandmother as a young woman.
My grandmother
Black-and-white photo of a man with three young children. Raul is the tallest boy, on the right.
Raul, far right
Raul smiling with his arms around two women in Mérida, Yucatán.
Raul in Mérida
Vintage photo of a young man in a charro suit and wide sombrero.

Some things he taught me with words. Most, he taught me simply by the way he lived.

Around the table

He believed in family, hard work, good food, and making the most of the time we have together.

As I've gotten older, I've realized how much of what he passed down lives in the little things: the traditions we keep, the meals around the table, and the time we spend with the people we love.

Raul smiling as he slices food at the kitchen counter.
Four family members laughing together around a table set for a meal.

Carrying it forward

El Viejo is something I've wanted to build for a long time.

With El Viejo Spice, I'm carrying our family's recipe forward and honoring the man whose example still shapes my life.

Gracias, mi viejo.

Gil Cetina, founder

Discover El Secreto

Our pepper-forward family seasoning: black pepper and aromatic spices for everyday cooking.

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