Santipapas salsas made right here in Oakland.

As a registered nurse, Mark Sorenson definitely knows how to soothe the ailing.

Now as a salsa entrepreneur, he’s proving he knows how to perk up the taste buds, too.

What started as a hobby has now turned into a full-fledged business. His Oakland-made Santipapas salsas are now available at the Pasta Shop in Oakland and Berkeley, the Alameda Natural Grocery store in Alameda, Bi-Rite Markets in San Francisco, Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco, and others.

The salsas will soon be in Northern California Whole Foods stores. Sorenson will start direct online sales in June, too.

The company’s name was inspired by Santiago Papasquiaro in the state of Durango. Nicknamed “Santipapas,” it is the town where his mother hails from.

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