The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Galveston District (SWG), held it's Hispanic Heritage Month observance Oct. 5, 2023, with a presentation on the chili plant. From left, Carlos Gomez, Kendell Barber, SWG EEO intern, and Neil Hoover, taste test a variety of homemade salsas and hot sauces provided by their SWG colleagues. Christopher Columbus was looking to establish a new spice trading route when he landed in the new world. It was on the island of Hispaniola—where Haiti and the Dominican Republic are located—where the Taino natives introduced him to the spicy fruit of the chili plant.