Through a unique partnership with Dallas College, Chef Lydia Gonzalez’s tamale brand “Chispas” is helping women build culinary careers and inspire future generations
DALLAS — Inside a bustling culinary classroom, the savory aroma of steaming tamales fills the air as women wrap corn husks with precision and purpose.
It’s more than just a lesson in Mexican tradition — it’s a recipe for economic empowerment.
Chef Lydia Gonzalez never imagined tamale making would become her full-time job — let alone a source of community uplift. The former restaurant owner launched “Chispas,” a tamale brand born from necessity and inspired by heritage.
“It wasn’t planned,” Gonzalez said. “But because my restaurants always had a workforce shortage, I started thinking about how we could solve this puzzle.”
Her solution: create a program that preserves cultural heritage while opening doors for aspiring food entrepreneurs. Through a partnership with the Dallas College Culinary, Pastry and Hospitality Center, Gonzalez now leads hands-on tamale-making sessions where students produce hundreds of tamales a day — close to 500, by some counts — that are sold to support their culinary ambitions.
“This can be a career, it’s not just a job,” Gonzalez explained. “We want to make sure our moms have options.”
One of those moms is student Liliana Rodriguez. For her, each tamale carries the weight of both legacy and opportunity.
“Where I’m from, we don’t have these kinds of opportunities,” Rodriguez said in Spanish. “I’m also teaching my daughters that women aren’t only meant to stay home. We can do and learn so much more.”
For Rodriguez, the program is a stepping stone to her dream: opening her own bakery.
The tradition of tamale making dates back to Mesoamerica, as early as 8,000 B.C. Gonzalez stays true to her roots by using the same sacred ingredients her ancestors did — from pulled pork to fragrant masa — all while guiding students through the process with joy and purpose.
“This is the best day ever,” she said, laughing and raising a tamale in celebration.
For Gonzalez, each bite is more than nostalgic. “It really takes me back to my abuelitos, el ranchito,” she shared.
At the end of the day, the group gathers to share the fruits of their labor — a communal meal rich in flavor and meaning. Through “Chispas,” Gonzalez sees herself not just preserving a family tradition but passing it forward in a powerful new way.
“I wake up in the morning and think how lucky I am to be able to pursue something I never knew could be a career,” she said. “Now I’m giving that chance to our working moms. My abuelitas, my ancestors… being able to transmit our culture through food… it’s quite a privilege.”
One that she doesn’t take for granted.