Born From a Hurricane and Raised in Rincón: The Story of Pazalsear

In Rincón, where community, creativity, and love for the land come together; Pazalsear was born. A vegan food brand created by Athina Alejandra that proves conscious eating can be full of flavor, identity, and purpose.

What began as a personal search during a time of major change in Puerto Rico grew into a culinary project that today offers sauces, spreads, vegan products, and culinary experiences inspired by local ingredients.

Behind every Pazalsear product is a story of resilience, creativity, and connection to the western Puerto Rico community.

What does Pazalsear mean?

The name Pazalsear comes from combining the words paz (peace) and salsa (sauce).

When Athina Alejandra started the project, the brand focused mainly on creating vegan sauces and cheeses. The idea was to create “sauces of peace”: products made without animal-derived ingredients, full of flavor and creativity.

Over time, people also began to connect the name to the word “salsear” (to dance salsa), associating it with dancing, enjoying, and celebrating.

That blend captures the essence of the brand: an invitation to connect with food from a place of joy, community, and respect.

An improvised kitchen, an extension cord, and a delicious idea

The story of Pazalsear began between 2017 and 2018, after Hurricane María.

Like many people in Puerto Rico, Athina found herself without work and facing a moment of uncertainty. At the time she was already eating vegan, but the lack of electricity and water led her to explore a raw-vegan diet based on fruits, vegetables, seeds, and fresh foods.

During that period, a neighbor with a generator shared power with her home through an extension cord. With that support, Athina began preparing small batches of raw sauces that she kept in the fridge to go with simple dishes like vegetable noodles and cucumber, carrot, and zucchini salads.

What began as a way to feed herself turned into a space for culinary experimentation.

When basic services returned, Athina began preparing vegan and raw-vegan lunches under the name Bajafresh, making deliveries in the San Juan metro area.

It was during that process that she started developing new recipes and flavors that would eventually become part of Pazalsear.

The Sunday that turned Pazalsear into much more than sauces

In 2019, Athina moved to western Puerto Rico, specifically to the Puntas area of Rincón.

That same year came a defining moment for the brand. During a gathering with friends, she brought some sauces and falafel batter in containers to share. Guests reacted so positively that a casual conversation planted a new possibility: maybe these sauces could become a business.

Shortly after, she took part in her first Sunday at the Rincón Agroecological Market. That day she sold out of everything and confirmed that Pazalsear had a place within the community.

That’s where the official path began for a brand that today represents the culinary creativity of western Puerto Rico.

The mind and heart behind Pazalsear’s flavors

Beyond being a chef, Athina Alejandra is a singer and has had a deep connection to creativity across different disciplines.

Although she doesn’t currently teach yoga, it was actually yoga that led her to explore a more conscious relationship with food and wellness.

For Athina, cooking is also a form of art. Just as music lets you express emotion through sound, food lets you tell stories through ingredients, colors, textures, and flavors.

Her inspiration comes from what Puerto Rico itself offers: seasonal harvests, local farmers, and the possibility of turning fresh ingredients into culinary experiences.

Much more than vegan sauces

Pazalsear started with vegan sauces and cheeses and, over time, grew into a broader culinary experience.

Beyond the products available for purchase, Athina creates experiences including:

• Private events
• Catering
• Kitchen take-overs
• Pop-ups
• Cakes
• Pastries
• Special creations inspired by local ingredients

The brand keeps evolving while holding onto the same philosophy it started with: proving that conscious eating can be delicious, creative, and memorable.

Pazalsear favorites

Pazalsear currently offers a variety of vegan products, including:

• Falafel batter
• Cilantro mayo
• Spicy cilantro mayo
• Beet ketchup/jam
• “Cheese” sauce
• Tzatziki
• Coconut carbonara
• Spinach pesto
• Caesar dressing
• Coconut mozzarella
• Spreadable “cheese”

The Coconut Carbonara is a customer favorite, and one of Athina’s personal favorites as well.

And the sage and rosemary spreadable cheese is another product that holds a special place for the brand.

One of Pazalsear’s proudest achievements is the coconut mozzarella, a product that took many attempts, tests, and adjustments before arriving at its current recipe.

Love for the land: the main ingredient

For Pazalsear, love will always be the main ingredient.

Love for Puerto Rico, for community, for health, and for food sovereignty.

The brand works to use local products whenever possible, supporting a circular economy and strengthening the connection between farmers, producers, and consumers.

Athina believes that eating well doesn’t mean limiting flavors or ingredients. It means understanding what each harvest makes possible and letting creativity transform what the land provides.

Rincón and the west: the land that raised Pazalsear

Western Puerto Rico is Pazalsear’s home.

As Athina explains, there is no Pazalsear without Rincón, Aguada, and Aguadilla. In these towns she found the community that believed in the project from its very first steps.

Between markets, farmers, beaches, and people who value what’s local, the brand found the inspiration to grow.

For Athina, building a business in this region has something special about it: a community that wants to see you succeed and celebrates when local projects move forward.

“Eating well doesn’t start in the kitchen. It starts in the land.”

That philosophy sums up the essence of Pazalsear: every ingredient has a story, and every dish represents a connection to the community.

Where to find Pazalsear

You can find Pazalsear’s products through their website:

www.pazalsear.com

Orders are arranged through delivery at strategic pickup points or pickup in Aguada.

You can also follow Pazalsear on social media as @pazalsear to keep up with upcoming pop-ups, kitchen take-overs, and culinary experiences around Puerto Rico.

The future of Pazalsear

Among the brand’s next dreams is creating a factory-market in western Puerto Rico and getting its products into more local supermarkets.

Athina will also keep creating culinary experiences that connect food, community, and culture.

For Pazalsear, food can nourish much more than hunger.

It can strengthen communities, support local agriculture, and transform the way we live and eat in the Caribbean.