Red or Green?

 

“Red or green?” A seemingly odd question coming from your waiter or waitress. Just about anywhere else, but New Mexico, where it is, in fact, the official State Question.

It refers to these guys, and is asking which one you want smothering your food: red and green chile. They’re the same thing, except the red has been allowed to ripen before harvesting.

Not “chillies,” “peppers,” or “chilis.” And they are a way of life around here.

Chile grow natively here, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that researchers at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces created a hybrid variety that was actually mild enough to eat. Called the “Big Jim,” that chile is the grandfather of all New Mexico chile.

When I say that chile is a way of life around here, I mean it. We put chile on eggs, hamburgers, pizza, beans … pretty much everything. Including, of course, tacos and burritos.

Unlike many Asian chillies and real firestorms like Ghost Peppers and Scotch Bonnets, New Mexico chile aren’t exceedingly hot. (At least, we New Mexicans don’t think so.) But they are flavorful, which is why we love them so much. (New Mexico grows the vast majority of the world’s chile, and we keep 80% of it for ourselves!)

Until relatively recently, it was impossible to get green or red chile outside of this state, but these days, grocers like HEB and Wegman’s are trucking in shipments of fresh chile in August, so you might be able to get some fresh chile and roast them yourself. Otherwise, you’ll have to content yourself with powdered or frozen chile from Amazon or these guys.

Once you get some, you can try out the helpful recipes in the comments, which are some of my favorites.

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  1. JosePluma Coolidge
    JosePluma
    @JosePluma

    JosePluma (View Comment):

    I knew I had moved to a bizarre place when I asked for green chile at a burrito place and the clerk replied “what is that?” Fortunately, things have improved a great deal here.

    (On a side note, the spellchecker on my iPad still doesn’t recognize the word “chile.”)

    And Ricochet says “chile” is a misspelling.  Get on that, @max.

    • #61
  2. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    JosePluma (View Comment):
    And Ricochet says “chile” is a misspelling.

    That’s your browser, not Ricochet. Right-click. Choose “Add to Dictionary.”

    • #62
  3. dnewlander Inactive
    dnewlander
    @dnewlander

    JosePluma (View Comment):

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):

    dnewlander: Until relatively recently, it was impossible to get green or red chile outside of this state, but these days, grocers like HEB and Wegman’s are trucking in shipments of fresh chile in August, so you might be able to get some fresh chile and roast them yourself.

    The last couple of years we lived near Rochester, NY (home of Wegman’s), Wegman’s had roasters outside some of their stores in late August to early September so they could roast chiles on site. When we moved to north central Texas last year, I saw roasters outside the local Albertson’s (though I never saw the roasters in operation).

     

    The first year they did that here, we could get the chile fresh off the roaster, just like in New Mexico. Apparently the Texas health department didn’t like that. Now you have to buy it frozen in bags.

     

    Bummer. Do you still get the smells of chile roasting in the parking lot?

    • #63
  4. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    The local Los Altos Ranch Market has the roasters going out front in season, here in Arizona.

    • #64
  5. dnewlander Inactive
    dnewlander
    @dnewlander

    Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):

    The local Los Altos Ranch Market has the roasters going out front in season, here in Arizona.

    That’s new. Ten years ago I was on a project in Scottsdale, and the guys had me bring fresh chile.

    • #65
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