The History of RO*TEL

The History of RO*TEL
RO*TEL has been a tradition in the southwest since the early 1940's.  That's when Carl
Roettele opened a small family canning plant in Elsa, Texas.  Starting with flavorful tomatoes,
he added chopped green chili peppers and a special blend of spices to create a sensational taste.
Figuring no one would be able to spell or pronounce Roettele, he used the name RO*TEL on
his products.  Although they canned 25,000 cases of vegetables a year, Roettele and his wife were
most proud of their tomatoes and green chilies.  Their pride was justified for it wasn't long before
RO*TEL Tomatoes and Green Chilies were gracing the tables of public figures and politicians
throughout Texas.
Originally, RO*TEL Tomatoes and Green Chilies were only shipped as far away as San Antonio,
Houston and Dallas.  By 1956, they had made their way to Oklahoma and Arkansas.  Then, in
1963, the wife of a popular politician in Washington bragged to a national magazine about her
recipe for homemade chili.  She revealed to them the secret ingredient that made her chili better
than anyone else's-RO*TEL Tomatoes and Green Chilies.  Since then, RO*TEL, with its zesty
flavor, has been the secret ingredient that's made ordinary recipes come alive.
In 1992, American Home Food Products added RO*TEL Tomatoes and Green Chilies to its
family of fine foods.
In November of 1996, the business was acquired by Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Incorporated
and C. Dean Metropoulos & Company, and is now part of International Home Foods, Inc.
Because the original RO*TEL Whole and Diced varieties proved to be so popular, extra hot and
milder were added to the product line along with Mexican and Italian.
International Home Foods was acquired by ConAgra Foods, Inc. in 2002, however, none of that
changed Ro*Tel, which is still made by many of the same people with the same ingredients. They
also still have an affiliation with legendary chuck wagon chef Crazy Sam Higgins.
Whatever variety, RO*TEL is the perfect ingredient to include when you want to add a zesty
tomato flavor to any meal.
"RO*TEL is...."The Ingredient That Makes A Good Recipe Great".