Meet Jazlyn Hernandez and Liz Figueroa of Vida of Tamales in Rockwall

Raised by a single mother and the oldest of three sisters. Growing up I loved food and I looked forward to watching my grandmother cook mexican food especially her awesome Tamales. I knew I wanted to be a chef from the age of eight. I attended the culinary program throughout high school and after graduating I went on to obtain my degree at The Art Institute of Houston where I received my Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts.

I love Tamales as much as I love Tacos but   I really felt like the world needed more flavors than the traditional Pork and Chicken Tamales. So I decided to change that and along with the support of my Mother who is also a chingona in the kitchen we began to test a few recipes and NOT to our surprise they have been a real hit. We look forward to adding and mixing more recipes for everyone to enjoy.

What we learned is that Everyone Loves Tamales! So keeping up with the demand and finding a kitchen where we could cook in high volumes was our biggest challenge since it’s just me and my mom cooking right now so that was the most stressful. Thankfully we did pretty quickly thanks to my high school culinary teacher! We deliver locally in Rockwall, TX and plan to be a part of the Rockwall Farmers Market every year which runs every Saturday from May through September.

Our business is primarily Tamales. Me and my mother cook everything fresh. Nothing ever comes from a can. Our masa is seasoned with a guajillo sauce as well which alot of masa is not. Me and mom both agreed no one really likes a bland masa. We also believe in more meat than masa. So our tamales are more generous than most. We created a green chile sauce that contains mexican sour cream and ranch and it is to die for! It has been a true hit for us. We are different than a lot of Tamale companies because we are not traditional and though we will have a version of the traditional pork, for the most part, our recipes will be unique.

For example, our menu includes Tamales made with green chili chicken ranch, ground beef picadillo with cheese and potatoes, poblano slices with muenster cheese, black beans with cheese and chorizo, and many more different flavors are coming soon. We are working on a siracha pineapple pork, beef bbq brisket and a blackened fish as well as a vegan menu. We are a mother-daughter duo and if it weren’t for the strong support of my mother all this would not be possible.

Growing up I loved food! I would eat anything! I remember the first time I tried sushi I was about six. My mom asked me if I wanted to try sushi and I asked “Is it food”? And my mom giggly said yes so then I said yes, lol”! It was eel sushi and I thought it was delish. And I do love sushi by the way. I loved to cook and make a mess in the kitchen. It would drive my mom nuts.

My passion is to cook and to recreate food we already love by adding just a little more love to it. So get ready world because these Tamales are going to take over your Vida!