The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Galveston District (SWG), held it's Hispanic Heritage Month observance Oct. 5, 2023, with a history presentation on the chili plant. Carlos Gomez, SWG deputy public affairs officer, sweats after a taste test of homemade salsas and hot sauces provided by 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. Columbus took the chili pepper plant back to Spain with him, which then spread across the eastern hemisphere, throughout the rest of Europe, into the Middle East and Africa, and further east into the Asian continent via established Portuguese trade routes.