MUSKEGO, Wis. — The school lunch menu at Muskego High School looked a little different on Wednesday. Taher Inc., the food service group that handles meals at Muskego, wanted to help students explore new food.
"You want big shrimp? Alright?" says the school's Food Service Director, Benny D'Epiro
The smell of paprika and saffron filled the cafeteria. Students were greeted with a smile and an unfamiliar lunch item.
"Enjoy some authentic Paella, all ingredients are authentic," explains D'Epiro.
D'Epiro helped serve this free meal to students.
"They're learning about everything about the world, food is a huge component of that” CEO of Taher Inc., Bruce Taher says.
Taher owns the food service company that serves lunch every day at Muskego. He has a passion for sharing authentic foods from various cultures with kids around the country. That’s why he started this Paella Tour.
The chefs with Taher are hoping to teach students about culture and our world one scoop of Paella at a time.
"The discussion is the important part. It's what is in Spain? What else do you have in Spain? Why this? Can everybody afford to have shrimp in Spain?" Taher explains.
Students were curious about the dish and asked plenty of questions.
"That's why it's called a Paella, it's the name in Spanish for the big pan," explains D’Epiro.
He was happy to share his knowledge of the dish and culture. He was also happy to see his students trying something new.
"It was pretty good; it was different than anything I have ever tried," freshman Casey Frahmann explains.
Another freshman, Moriya Green, enjoyed it as well, saying, "It was good, I liked it.”
Green hopes it's the first of many new experiences.
"Something a lot people can learn, if you understand more about cultures, we understand more about how our world can be and what creates our world."
D’Epiro is eyeing the Japanese dish, Yakitori, as the next meal for students to try. Students can expect that in early December.
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