FAMILY TRADITION: The 150 year Ortega tradition all started with Maria Conception Jacinta Dominguez Ortega, or as we like to call her, Mama. In the 1800s, Mama and her beloved family lived in a small three-room adobe home in Ventura, California, common to the Spanish settlements of the time. Inside the thick adobe walls, Mama Ortega created a loving home for her 13 children (yes, 13!) centered around their tiny kitchen. With a small charcoal-burning stove, Mama Ortega whipped up memorable meals her family loved with homegrown, handpicked and handmade ingredients.