Spicy foods can be addictive, right? You have one bite, then another, then another, all while your tongue might be on fire. Spicy foods are said to be addictive because they release endorphins and dopamine, kinda like exercising, but right now we’re talking about exercising your taste buds!
Fresh chile is good for you, offering antioxidants and micronutrients that support our health. It is rich in vitamin C, and can boost your immunity. Around 7000 BC, chile peppers were used by Mayans to treat asthma, coughs, and sore throats. The Aztec are known to have used chile to treat toothaches and for pain in general.
The tradition of growing, cultivating, roasting, and eating green chile has been occurring in New Mexico for over 400 years. According to Spanish written records, chile peppers were introduced into the Southwest by Juan De Oñate, the founder of Santa Fe, in 1610. Although the Spanish brought seeds for cultivation, chile peppers are indigenous to South America, with origins near Brazil.
New Mexico, particularly in areas like the village of Hatch, has been proven to provide perfect growing conditions for green chile. Our altitude, long hot days and cool nights, and deep well-drained nutrient-rich soils provide crops of green chile that are enjoyed all over the country. In fact, New Mexico is the largest chile pepper producer in the United States. Our state vegetable (chile is actually a fruit) is sown in April, ripe in August, and turns various shades of red when mature.
My experience with green chile started back when I was a kid. We would usually head to a nearby grocery store and get two boxes of green chile—enough to last the year and some to share. Once your box of chiles was picked out, you’d take it outside to be roasted. Just like burning piñon in the winter, the smell of the fresh chiles roasting is one of those aromas that remind you that you’re a New Mexican.
You’d then take your freshly roasted bags of chile home and begin to unload on a table lined with plastic. If you could, you’d gather three to five people to help peel and de-stem them and set aside the really good ones for rellenos. Someone would be making tortillas alongside this process, and when all the chile was peeled and ready, it was put into small bags and frozen. Some chile never made it into baggies but was just enjoyed fresh, with homemade tortillas.
Back in my college days I would come home before fall semester and once I was ready to head back to Arizona, my sister and I packed a cooler with green chile that had been roasted, peeled, and bagged a few days prior. Once I moved to Oregon, I wondered how I would now get green chile? This was on my list of top priorities along with finding a place to live. To remedy this issue, my parents would come visit periodically and were sure to bring me some frozen green chile in a cooler. It really is something most New Mexicans can’t live without, and a staple that contributes to our cultural identity.
Starting the second week of August, the Sangre de Cristo Valley Market began offering 25-pound boxes of fresh green chiles for $30, roasted. Owner Dominic Apodaca mentioned the store will be offering freshly roasted green chile while supplies last.
