Ask any Latin cook where flavor begins and the answer is always the same: sofrito. It is the aromatic base that quietly carries a dish, the difference between food that is simply cooked and food that tastes like home.
Start with the base
Tito builds his with onion, garlic, cubanelle peppers, cilantro, and culantro (recao), all chopped fine. Some days a little ají dulce or tomato joins in. The exact mix matters less than the care you put into it.
Cook it low and slow
The real secret is patience. Sofrito should sweat gently in good oil until it turns soft, golden, and fragrant, never rushed and never browned hard. That slow start is what gives rice, beans, and stews their depth.
Make it your own
Taste as you go, keep it fresh, and make a little extra to have on hand. Every family has its own version, and that is exactly the point: sofrito is tradition you can taste.