I didn’t start as a chile lover when I moved to New Mexico from New York 12 years ago. But eventually, like almost everyone in the state, I became a chile addict. Although I never quite developed the ability to withstand the onslaught of the HOT variety, I grew to love the bite of the green and the smoky goodness of red.
We don’t eat chili in New Mexico – instead we add our beloved chile (the fruit of the Capsicum plant) to just about everything. Apple pie? Pizza? Chocolate? Of course. Bread? Even bagels here come with chile.
New Mexico has an official State Question: Red or Green? It refers to asking folks in restaurants whether they want red chile or green chile. We even have an official answer: Christmas, which means both. If you’re new to New Mexico, cautiously try them and remember, when your mouth is on fire, sour cream puts out the flame.
All chile is not the same. Each New Mexico variety has its own unique pungency, flavor, and size. The Native American Pueblos have their own varieties of chile, each with its own special profile. Regions have their own specialties as well. One particularly delicious variety is the Chimayo red chile. Grown from heirloom seeds dating back generations, it’s hot and incredibly flavorful, with an earthiness that is highly prized.
The success has led to a counterfeit chile industry where people pass off other pods as genuine. The New Mexico Chile Advertising Act made it a crime for businesses to advertise their product as made with New Mexico chile unless the chile was actually grown in the state. This has turned a shopping trip into a whole buyer-beware experience. Fiercely loyal, we are keen to try new flavors and support our local agricultural bounty.
I just moved to Jacksonville, Florida, and I dragged a dozen small cans of Hatch green chile with me, and a bag of dried red chile. Next time I go back to New Mexico for a visit I’m tracking down some Chimayo red to bring back. Our devotion to chile is a thread that binds the people of the state together, from the Pueblos to the Spanish to the Anglos–we all love it.
