Choco Masters: Passion found through Desserts, a Conversation with Chef Jesús Escalera

How would you describe yourself on a professional and personal level?

I am Jesús Escalera, a postman. I consider myself an emotional person, who is very moved by that subject. If there is something I don't like I don't do it, in the same way if something moves me a lot I dive headlong like a "Kamikaze".

Why do you consider yourself a "pastry chef or chocolatier" and not a "pastry chef or chocolatier"?

Because I have dedicated most of my life to being a pastry chef focused on dessert to the plate.

Why dessert chef and not savory chef?

I started unintentionally, I don't come from a cooking family. I got into cooking almost unintentionally, because I didn't know what to do with my life. I went to a guidance counselor because I was missing classes, and in a talk I saw a gastronomy class, and I started to study cooking. In Spain there is no career as such, only a training cycle.

Pastry was not my passion, because I was very exact and very millimetric, but I was sent to pastry from my first job, and little by little I got into that world. The opportunity came when I was able to do my internship and I chose sweet cuisine. In the hotel where I worked, I tasted a pepper ice cream and my head exploded, so I gave sweets a chance.

What are the flavors that marked the different stages of your life?

More than a flavor, it is a dish, rice pudding. Because of the memory of warmth it gives me. When you evolve and grow, many memories of flavor are created.

How did you cope with the year 2020? What is the word that determined that year for you?

I would define it as a challenge, because it was a challenge for everyone really, it was something that no one expected and when times are hard, creativity bubbles. We had to invent new ways to continue with the business. We created digital recipe books, to be able to give a little seed to the world of gastronomy. This helped us to maintain our business, and it reached many countries. In desperation, the pandemic has brought new ways of doing our work.

What is your main challenge for this year, personally and professionally?

Diversify our courses: barismo, cocktails, etc. We want to become greener, we want to develop online consulting for gastronomy businesses and grow in Hong Kong. Wherever I go, I go with República del Cacao.

How do you conceive your new desserts? How is the conceptualization process from sketch to plate?

There are different ways. Personally, my ideas and inspiration are not at all schematic. I start from an ingredient and give it a leading role in the elaborations. They can also be environments, such as a forest and focus on aromas and flavors that remind you of that environment or landscape. I also reinterpret based on other creations, giving credit to their creators. Teamwork is very important, with whom I share the same philosophy.

How was your process of adaptation to the Mexican market? What were the most important challenges you had to face in this transition?

Be humble. I arrived in Mexico 10 years ago, when I was 25 years old. Arriving in this country, I had to remove barriers and use ingredients that I was not comfortable with before, which led to a cultural mix that has enriched my knowledge and techniques.

What is the differentiating factor of República del Cacao compared to other chocolate brands you have tried?

The added value I get from knowing that it is a real chain, the social support, the meaningful production they carry, so that the raw material does not feel alien.

Could you tell us a little about your experience at our collection center in Vinces?

Anyone interested in pastry or agronomy should have this experience in which the whole chain is seen to realize the importance of the product.

How was your vocation as a teacher born, to teach culinary techniques and the development of recipe books for the general public?

Well, it came about because I didn't have it. Therefore, when I got into pastry I didn't understand when some things happened, I realized over time that people didn't understand the reason for certain things in pastry. Then suddenly when you understand how pastry really works it is intuitive, and I think that was the thorn in my side to start giving classes and then little by little we did it more for outsiders.

How is the relationship you have with your community?

We are very clear that first of all, at the team level, a very interesting idea or a very cool dish is useless if there is no team behind it. A team of people who are passionate about what they do, that is the main factor, experience does not really matter so much because in "La Postrería" we are going to teach them and that everyone enjoys what they do. It feels great to give them that confidence and to see the new proposals that arise from that. Another important point is also the client, he is a guest because he goes to your house and you have to treat him well.

Do you think it is important for Chefs to develop positive impact models in their business model?

I do consider it important, let's say Gender Equity, I consider it something logical and necessary. Or what is always said "buy local", that is also logical, start first with your team or in your home, start with those little things because that will be the first wave. We start with our team of 20 people and when those 20 people open their own businesses in the future they will have the same practices and it's an expansive thing.