Since 1898 the la preferida family has been involved in the food business. With a bustling economy in the stockyards, steel mills and freight yards, Chicago was the perfect location for the family business in the 1920's. Recognizing the potential of Chicago's great immigrant melting pot over the years, our family began making the spicy sausage known as chorizo, for the expanding Mexican community.

As the demand for its fresh homemade chorizo increased, the small family store introduced Chicago's first packaged chorizo in 1949. It was given the name la preferida because of its superior quality. La preferida means ''the preferred'' in Spanish. Since then, la preferida has expanded into a complete line of quality Mexican specialties which are preferred by the Hispanic community, as well as a growing number of Anglo consumers who enjoy authentic Mexican foods.

Four generations later, la preferida' s commitment to quality and variety continues to be supported by strong customer loyalty in several of America's major markets. We offer a full line of more than 200 authentic Mexican food items, including frijoles, salsas and jalapenos. La preferida' s success grew as our close ties to the Hispanic community strengthened.

We've foreseen both the expansion of Mexican foods into the general population and the continued growth of the Hispanic community. Trendy ''new'' ethnic foods that customers now demand have been staples in our product line for years. Our in-depth knowledge of Hispanic products keeps our finger on the pulse of the market.

The delicious Mexican specialties that we provide to our Hispanic customers will convince everyone else that la preferida means authentic Mexican food. It all adds up to a name you can trust - from the company that knows the Hispanic and Anglo customers. The product is being manufactured in United States.