Not Just Another Caterer—Sabor Piri Piri Offers Rare Flavor to San Diegans
“In my family, it didn’t matter if you were a man, woman, or child—if you wanted to eat, you were in the kitchen helping with the food.”
Candido has an easy way about him. He sits comfortably, smiles easily, and talks about food like it’s an old friend. “Growing up in Mozambique, it was about survival, really… As kids, we harvested food in the garden or went down to the ladies selling produce.”
Life in Mozambique was sweet but rarely easy. Everyone worked, and nothing went to waste.
“So think about a pumpkin. Here in America, we may eat the pumpkin meat, but in Mozambique we ate the pumpkin leaves, the seeds, the meat—we use everything.”
When Candido arrived in the United States as a young man, the edible opportunities were almost overwhelming. Options, as far as the eye could see, and shelves lined with ingredients. He came to San Diego to pursue music but quickly got into food, catering events with his own take on traditional Mozambican cuisine and other southeast African dishes. The food was a hit, and Candido is now carving out a culinary niche for himself all over San Diego with his business, Sabor Piri Piri (find them on Instagram and Facebook, too!).
So where do you come in? We are working with partners, donors, and other compassionate investors to help people like Candido build out their business. Candido dreams of his own brick-and-mortar restaurant.
He says he enjoys the weekly farmer’s market circuit. There are plenty of people to meet, lots of energy and good marketing opportunities for his unique food, but it’s a hustle.
“The preparation is the hardest. You wake up early, cook for hours, get the food to the market, and it ends up being a 10-12 hour day. If I had a restaurant, it would all be in that place, the people would be coming to me, ya know?”
Candido is working toward that goal, and we’re thrilled to be working with him. In the meantime, you should try his food—it’s phenomenal, and there are options for everyone. See his menu and hours of operation on his website, and be sure to tell him we said hi!
All technical assistance is provided through funding by the City of San Diego Community Development Block Grant.
