Ellie Nowakowski Archives

Mexican solace found in rural Wisconsin, Tortilleria Zepeda is a taste of home

By Ellie Nowakowski and Cate Schiller

When Julian Zepeda met his wife Heidi and moved from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to rural Wisconsin he found himself in food heaven. He could not get enough Culvers.

However, the charm soon wore off and homesickness set in. Julian began craving authentic Mexican food but was not finding it anywhere.

“He started really missing Mexican food and his home,” Heidi said.

He began calling his family seeking recipes that tasted like home. The one missing piece he kept returning to was an authentic, chemical-free tortilla.

Julian found it hard to believe he would be able to make a tortilla that compared to his abuela’s with Wisconsin corn, he explained, but he still thought he should give it a try. Before long, Julian was fielding requests from friends and neighbors to purchase his homemade, authentic corn tortillas.

“It’s great that I can show how a good tortilla is supposed to taste, people aren’t used to it,” Julian said.

It wasn’t until he boarded a plane to his hometown with an air-sealed package of his new product for his family to try that Julian felt ready to start his own business. His family told him that his tortillas, made with Wisconsin corn crops, tasted like authentic Mexican tortillas. Their approval gave Julian the green light he was looking for.

Tortilleria Zepeda opened in 2018 in Lone Rock, just outside of Spring Green, Wisconsin. For Julian, the small factory is more than just his place of work, it’s a place that feels like home.

“It’s like a little Mexico in this rural area of Wisconsin,” Heidi said.

This experience extends beyond just Julian. The couple saw a strong LatinX community emerge who concurred, the taste of their authentic tortilla feels like home.

“We’ve had this beautiful response from community members and Mexican immigrants in Wisconsin that are finding a little connection to home among all these farmlands,” Heidi said.

The former marine biologist is not entirely out of his element in his tortilleria. In fact, he views the process as somewhat of a science. The couple uses an ancient Mexican technique called nixtamalization. The process involves soaking the corn in an alkaline solution for 24 hours and grinding it using volcanic stone to create masa — the tortilla base. Tortelleria Zepeda’s tortillas have just three ingredients: corn, water and pickling lime (calcium hydroxide).

Nixtamalization is a process the couple is passionate about. Not only do bigger brands skip out on the process that releases important nutrients in corn, Heidi explained, but they often add chemicals and preservatives to their product. The couple sources several varieties of corn from farms as close as seven miles down the road.

“We want to support local organic corn farmers and not let these big farmers take over,” Heidi said. “These organic farms are what make Wisconsin, Wisconsin.”

Made from local Wisconsin corn crops and using an ancient Aztec technique, the resulting tortillas are a perfect mix of the two of them, Heidi said.

It’s like a little Mexico in this rural area of Wisconsin.
Heidi Zepeda

Heidi moved to Mexico in search of adventure, where she met Julian in 2014. The two wanted to relocate to the states, and Heidi suggested her home state, “exotic Wisconsin.” They landed in her hometown of Spring Green where she grew up on a beef farm.

“I’m the farm girl from Wisconsin and my husband brings the authentic Mexican piece,” Heidi said.

Together, along with one employee and the help of Heidi’s sister, the couple sources, produces, distributes and delivers their tortillas across the state. They have found receptive audiences in customers, restaurant owners and grocery store owners.

“We basically started from word of mouth. We know all of our clients personally, we have great relationships with them,” Julian said. “In Wisconsin, people help each other, it’s a great community”

Canteen Taco in Madison offers Tortilleria Zepeda tortilla’s on their menu for an additional dollar per order of tacos. Customers seem to like them more than the “regular” ones they offer, said Canteen manager Alison Martin.

“I think there’s a noticeable difference,” said Martin. “They taste a little more homemade.”

Going forward, the Zepedas are looking to expand tortilla distribution and explore some passion projects of theirs — including on-site Mezcal tastings.

“We had this space here where we could create this little oasis. Now we can share authentic Mexican food and beverages with the community.”

Tortilleria Zepeda will host its next mezcal tasting on Jan. 7 at 3:00 p.m. at their factory.

Displaced and Tokenized: Indigenous students feel used by UW-Madison

By Ellie Nowakowski

An Instagram post made by UW-Madison was met with backlash when Indigenous students and allies used the comment section to criticize the school as hypocritical.

In a series of Native November events, UW-Madison and Ho Chunk Nation’s Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Bill Quackenbush built a Ho Chunk dwelling called a ciiporoke near Dejope residence hall. The event was documented by the UW-Madison communications team who shared a video to Instagram.

The post went up the same day that UW-Madison disclosed master plans for a parking structure that would involve the demolition of the building which houses the Indigenous Student Center.

“It’s just another example of how they love to promote us but will never listen to us when our voice needs to flourish on a campus where their Indigenous student retention rate is barely above 50%,” said Sam Giguere, student at Edgewood College and Wunk Sheek member.

While the 2015 university master plan includes the demolition of the current Indigenous Student Center house, UW-Madison Director of Media Relations and Strategic Communications Kelly Tyrell emphasized that these plans are not final.

“The post celebrates the Ho-Chunk, whose ancestral land UW–Madison occupies, and members of University Communications were welcomed to produce a video about this dwelling, considered by the Ho-Chunk of Teejop to be a place of home, family, community, teaching, learning and ceremony,” said Tyrell. “It was shared to celebrate their culture and the importance of the place.”

The Instagram post documenting the event was filled with comments of criticism and hurt. Students noted the belief that their identities were being used as a marketing ploy by the university. By commenting, students and allies paint a more accurate picture of the university’s support, freshman and Indigenous student Marisol Dashnaw said.

“The university is saying one thing to the public and then other things to us,” Dashnaw said. “People should really be aware of the discrepancy in the university’s messaging to different groups of people before commending them for what they perceive to be strides and racial equity.”

Backlash wasn’t over the building of the ciiporoke, which initially seemed positive, said Giguere. Criticism comes from a place of feeling that the university is not meeting the practical needs of its Indigenous communities. Many of whom feel that having a space of their own is vital to the well-being of their community.

“It feels like the only thing the university knows how to do is displace,” Giguere said.

The university has promised to consider student input when considering moving forward with its plan of action. They are also committed to finding solutions to any disruptions to the house due to the construction of Levy Hall, a new campus building that will break ground in the new year. The building is next to the current Indigenous Student Center house.

“The university is engaging in campus conversation, including directly with students and others who might be affected by future changes, which also includes identifying students’ space needs and options,” Tyrell said.

Students also expressed a willingness to work with the university to find a viable solution. Though the Red Gym was offered as a potential alternative, the space will simply not cut it, Dashnaw said.

“We are happy to work with the administration if only they would extend the invitation,” Dashnaw said.

Indigenous students stand firm in their belief that a space of their own is vital to a flourishing Indigenous community at the university.

“Wunk Sheek is a place of resistance, Wunk Sheek is a home and Wunk Sheek feels like a community and it feels like that community is going to be taken away,” Giguere said.