Food is not just a basic need. For some students at the Latino Culinary Institute and Association at Dallas College, food is the way to a better life. Noelle Walker has the story.
The Latino Culinary Institute at Dallas College is training students to be 'food entrepreneurs' through the Chispas program.
At the Latino Culinary Institute and Association at Dallas College, cumbia music fills the kitchen as students fill tamales. They are part of a pilot program called 'Chispas'.
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WATCH HERE"Chispas is just a spark," Latino Culinary Institute Executive Chef Lydia Gonzalez explained. "It's a spark of an idea. If you want to become a food entrepreneur, there's a lot of things that go into that planning and that process."
Students learn everything from how to follow a recipe, to how to make the product consistent in look and taste to sell it.
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SIGN UP "It's the process of making the tamales," Chispas student Veronica Garza said as she filled handmade artisan tamales with pork. "It's the quality, customer service...everything."
Garza said what she's learning will help her make a better life for herself and her family.
"The main goal is to get them trained so they can make a living wage," Gonzalez said. "That's very very important. You know, a lot of the people who work in the back of a restaurant don't get paid as much as people think."
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Gonzales is training them to be able to work at the 'front of house' and even run their own businesses one day.
"You're teaching a lot of life skills, you know? First and foremost, budgeting," Gonzalez said. "We know how expensive groceries have gotten over the last several years. Eggs right now are through the roof!"
Chispas is a culinary workforce training pilot program at Dallas College, focused on highlighting Latino culture through food.
"Understanding that this was something that was made more than 8,000 years ago; I'm like, wow," Gonzalez said. "I have the privilege of making these tamales, and not only eating them, but we also get to make them and share them with everyone."
The program relies on donations and grants to make classes free to students. For more information, click here.
