Cancha Mojo - Canary Island Sunshine Sauces Made in Wales

Hi, I’m Carmen, I live in Cardiff with my family, and I’m the founder of CANCHA MOJO, a new (proud to be Welsh) micro start up, manufacturing small, homemade batches of mojo…What’s mojo? Mojo is the name for the traditional sauces from the sun drenched Canary Islands, just off the coast of West Africa in the Atlantic ocean. At CANCHA MOJO, we have developed our own recipes of 3 flavours of mojo, which are probably the most popular and well known on the Islands. Mojo Rojo, is a garlicky, zingy sauce with a deep rounded flavour of roasted peppers and smoked paprika - Oooophhhhh! Mojo Verde ( my personal favourite ), is a heady blend of fresh coriander, sharp Apple Cider Vinegar and the unmistakable undertones of hand toasted and ground ( in a pestle and mortar ) cumin seeds. Oh My!!! And then, there’s Mojo Picón, with a similar base to Mojo Rojo, but with the bold and unmistakable clean heat of Chilli de árbol .

Mojo is super versatile, if I were to try to list all the things it eats well with, or the ways to use it, it would take forever for you to read - but believe me, it goes with almost EVERYTHING, and if you see me at the market, I’ll always be super happy to chat about all the mojo possibilities with you , it’s kinda my specialist subject.

So, a little background… I was born in South Wales to a Welsh Dad, and a Canarian Mother, and I guess that’s how this mojo mania all began for me. My mother was an excellent home cook and her skills in the kitchen were second only to her incredible work ethic and she remains my inspiration as I work to get my fledgling business to thrive and grow.

A few years ago. I realised that good mojo, fresh mojo, was just not available to buy in the UK. Sure you can get mojo, but it’s often imported, and generally has additives and preservatives to keep it safe on the journey across the Atlantic and stay on the shelves at a Delicatessen for as long as possible, and this just didn’t chime with me. I started to think more seriously about making my own, and the recipe development began in earnest. It’s taken me a long time to actually gather enough courage and self belief to start my own business, but I believe in the product, I know it’s great, and I’m proud of what I have achieved so far and now I’m excited to see what the future will bring.

CANCHA MOJO is all about producing the tastiest, fresh, chilled, quality mojo for you to enjoy at home, at the beach, at BBQs, you get the idea…but without all the stuff you can’t pronounce the names of in the ingredients list. There’s nothing scary in the ingredients that you won’t have heard of, the secret to the taste is all in the blend. Fresh ingredients are sourced locally, and I hope to encourage recycling of our packaging by choosing to use glass jars and aluminium lids. Our mojo has a UKAS verified shelf life of 2 weeks, but believe me it will all be gone as soon as you get home and open the jar to taste it. I have now made, tasted, tested and tweaked so much mojo, and I still love the flavours which are so unique and evocative of all the good times spent with family in the Canaries in my youth, I was almost born to love mojo. However, it’s when I introduce the taste of mojo to others for the first time and see the enjoyment and perhaps even some surprise on their faces, that’s the moment which makes my day, my week, my month and yes, why not… my year, because chances are, they have never tasted something quite like it before, but I can usually be quite sure they’ll be back pretty soon for more.

I am just at the very beginning of my mojo manufacturing adventure, but I have already learnt so much from all the incredible people who have helped me to develop the recipes for CANCHA MOJO, bringing the whole idea to fruition, and making it a reality. All of the hard work and preparation it’s taken to get a top ‘SCORE ON THE DOOR’ rating of 5, has been so worth it, and now I’m taking my mojo to market for everyone to try. I couldn’t be more proud of the solid foundations CANCHA MOJO has laid down so far, in such a short space of time,and with a lot of hard work and dedication. Now it’s time to build something super tasty, so come and say i HOLA !, if you see me at my stall…let's talk MOJO. Follow CANCHA MOJO on instagram @cancha_mojo.uk Go to www.canchamojo.com to subscribe to my blog about all things Canary Islands and be the first to receive special offers, updates and news. I can’t wait to meet you all.