Family Tradition and Manabita Inspiration, a conversation with José María López, Gastronomy student at ICHE School, sponsored by República del Cacao
We promote the exchange of knowledge through academic alliances with national and international institutes, with the goal of supporting the training of professionals who will in turn drive positive changes in the world. Since 2021, we have maintained a prosperous alliance with the Iche School of Gastronomy, located in the province of Manabí in Ecuador. The objective of this institution is to contribute to the gastronomic education of young talents in the region through high-level classes, qualified professors, and both theoretical and practical learning methods.
In 2022, we awarded a scholarship to one of your students, José María López, who is specializing in pastry and developed a project to make products using cocoa husks. We spoke with him and learned more about his story.
Tell us a little about yourself, who is José María Chávez?
I'm from Manabí, I come from the community of Los Caras, which belongs to the city of Bahía de Caráquez. I had always wanted to study gastronomy but couldn't find an opportunity to pursue the career because here in the Manabí region, there usually aren't schools for that profession. However, thanks to a friend of mine, I learned about Iche and was able to enroll here at the school and have the opportunity to study gastronomy.
I was always interested in studying Gastronomy, but when I finished high school, the pandemic started, and I didn't have the opportunity to start studying until two years later, finally at Iche.
Why did you decide to study Gastronomy?
It was because of my grandmothers and my mom, because we always had family gatherings where we shared around the Manabita oven, that oven was always at my grandma's house and we all prepared food together as a family.
What has your experience been like studying at the Institution of Fires?
It was a very good experience, with all the people and professors who work here. We always received good treatment, and equally if we talk about knowledge, I arrived with basic knowledge and here I was able to learn many things, that was the best part. I always thought I liked hot cuisine more, but here I started learning about pastry and baking, and I liked it a lot, so now I'm going down that path and I want to keep specializing more in that branch. Furthermore, the entire experience with my classmates was very good, the people who work in the restaurant also taught us a lot.
What did you feel when you found out you were selected for the Republic of Cocoa scholarship?
It was something that made me very happy. When I learned more about the project, I got really excited because I like baking, and it was a way to learn more about it.
How did you conceptualize the innovation project with cocoa husks, what was your objective with this?
First, we started working with the Lab Coordinator, Ana Lobato. We had several ideas, discussed different prototypes, and that's how the idea for this project with cocoa bean shells came about. It caught my attention because several products could be developed, such as tea infusions and different flavors. I also realized that in this area, cocoa bean shells are a product that isn't used much; it's wasted because if farmers don't sell it, they throw it away. That's how we reached this conclusion, and our objective with the project was to develop different products based on cocoa bean shells to utilize this ingredient. It also struck me that when I started studying at Iche, I noticed that here, on the other hand, they did use this ingredient for various purposes in desserts and dishes.
What are your next goals?
My next project is to look for another institution to further my pastry skills and also to do internships in this field at a restaurant. That's actually what I liked most about Iche, because in addition to having classes, we also went to the restaurant, and even if we had to prepare advanced dishes or desserts, we did them. It was incredible because I wouldn't have applied it that way in a purely theoretical class.
Recommendation for future Iche Gastronomy students
Make the most of it, make the most of the teachers you have here and all the cooks, because they know a lot. If you have any questions, ask them, talk to the Coordinators and everyone else, and don't be afraid to ask because there will always be someone here to help you with what you want, and never stop wanting to learn.