Dida's Story

While growing up in South Kansas City, Idida (Dida) Avila spent hours in the kitchen with her mother preparing their family’s traditional Puerto Rican and Mexican dishes. Over the years, Dida’s love of cooking grew and she began to develop recipes of her own.
Dida created her salsa in 1995 for her family and friends to use in the preparation of taco meat as a healthy alternative to commercial pre-packaged, preservative-filled taco seasonings.

“Everyone kept telling me how much they loved my salsa and that they would buy it if they could,” Dida says, “but I never really thought of it as a way to make a living. It was just something I loved to do.”

In 2000, with the encouragement of many satisfied salsa-lovers, Dida made a big batch, jarred it herself and set up a booth at the City Market in Kansas City. Demand quickly outgrew what she could produce in her kitchen. She found a local producer in 2004 and began marketing to gourmet retailers in the Kansas City metro and surrounding areas. Dida personally oversees the production of every batch to ensure that it meets her stringent quality requirements.

Dida developed the Sweet & Spicy Nut Mix in 2006 and distributed samples. She immediately began receiving orders. Within a month, demand for the Nut Mix had outgrown the amount she could produce. Dida’s hands-on approach still applies for the Nut Mix as she oversees the production in a local certified kitchen.

Dida loves hosting tasting demos at the Kansas City gourmet stores where her products are sold. Her charming personality attracts customers who are always impressed by meeting the “Salsa Lady” in person. One taste and customers often say “You don’t need a chip, you just need a spoon!”

Dida has also been interviewed and featured in many articles in the Kansas City Star and other publications. In November, 2005, Dida was the guest chef in a cooking segment on Kansas City Live, a live local morning television show.
Dida has a head full of new recipes to produce so please watch for new Mama Dida’s products.