I am a Native New Yorker of Cuban Jewish descent, and I founded by Charlito’s Cocina in the living room of a Queens apartment that I shared with two friends, in 2011. I was fascinated by the transformative process of curing meats - how you take an ingredient as highly perishable as raw meat and, by leaving it in a temperature and humidity zone where it’s most prone to perishing, could make it do the opposite, and wind up with an expression of transformation that is long lasting, elevated, and delicious. The process of making salumi has always felt like a glorious life metaphor- you start out raw and, over time, you transform and ideally, develop, grow more layered, and more interesting. I wanted to share this process beyond the walls of my apartment. At the time, I was in between jobs, and needed to figure out what to do next. So I decided to go for it, and open a salumi company. I didn’t have the money or the know how to open my own production facility so, after making salumi in an old office refrigerator turned curing box in the apt, I found a small salumeria that was USDA approved, and run by an older, grandmotherly figure who took me under her wing, and gave me a chance. She was my salumi angel! Charlito’s made it’s first sale in July of 2011, under the shade of a tent at the then newly formed Smorgasburg Market. In fact, we sold out our whole first batch that day, which was about 15 lbs of 6 oz salamis. From there, we got a wholesale account. From there, a distributor. Before I knew it, we were in business, and have been going ever since. We’ve gotten some awards, some awesome press- including Oprah’s Favorite Things, Food and Wine Mag. The NYTimes, to name a few, and have sent product to some of the US’s most coveted culinary destinations, including Murray’s Cheese, Eataly, and Whole Foods. Ultimately though, Charlito’s Cocina is a serious cured meat maker, one who doesn’t take itself too seriously, crafting premium salumi with an ancient, transformative process to facilitate meaningful human connections. Our products are inspired by the transformative powers of salt, air flow, temperature, humidity, and time, powers that are celebrated in cultures around the world. With the right combination of these elements, we take a highly perishable ingredient- raw meat- and, by leaving it in the temperature/humidity zone where it’s most prone to perishing, make it do the opposite, not only preserving it indefinitely, but elevating its value and making it delicious. We celebrate thinking differently, keeping things interesting, and elevating charcuterie assortments by creating products that are made with sustainably sourced raw materials, transparent ingredient statements, and old school technique. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. We’re just trying to help keep it structurally sound, so that it keeps on turning. Thanks for reading and hope you love our goods! Charles “Charlito” Wekselbaum Founder