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Hatch Chiles

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    Hatch Chiles

    I stumbled across the following this morning: http://www.takepart.com/article/2016/08/31/hatch-chiles

    It's an article on chiles and it addresses the Hatch chile mystique, specifically noting that the "Hatch" chile you buy is very likely not a Hatch chile. It also notes that chiles grown in Hatch are not different or better than others grown in NM, AZ, TX, and Mexico. Indeed, the climate and soil along the Rio Grande for many, many miles north and south of Hatch is the '"same" as in Hatch. Also, the chile varieties grown in Hatch, and NM in general, are hybrids, thus seed must be purchased every year and cannot be saved from year to year. Much of the seed comes from AZ (Curry Seed and Chile: :http://curryseedandchile.com/portal/...0/default.aspx). So, Hatch chiles are not "evolved" to be adapted to the Hatch area, which is in contrast to the way that landraces like Chimayo chiles are bred (evolved) to be tolerant of soil and climate conditions around Chimayo, NM.
    .
    The reason (one of 'em, anyway) that NM chile is "better" is the varieties they grow--namely, they don't grow 'Anaheims'.
    Last edited by Willy; October 2, 2018, 06:59 PM.

    #2
    Enlightening article for sure. Thanks for sharing Willy

    Comment


      #3
      I have grown Big Jim's which is just 1 of the varieties.

      Comment


        #4
        Interesting. It is now an annual tradition to buy a bunch of these, roast them and then let them steam (covered) to cool before stripping off the blackened skins and (freezing plenty) making the first chile cheeseburgers of the season. I make the salsa in smallish batches so I have to do it regularly throughout the year.... or rather "get" to do it regularly. When I do go to Santa Fe (about a week every other year) we try loads of different joints for their chile cheeseburgers ---mainly to make sure I have a goal to beat

        Comment


        • Willy
          Willy commented
          Editing a comment
          Have you managed to get to Rancho de Chimayo?

        • fracmeister
          fracmeister commented
          Editing a comment
          It is like a pilgrimage. Of course. The spousal unit has also taken me to every Georgia O'Keefe location. We collect Allan Houser sculptures and spend a week at a shot at the Santa Fe Opera. It is a wonderful place to visit.

        • Willy
          Willy commented
          Editing a comment
          Great! We get to Hatch and/or Santa Fe every year or two. Great places to visit and eat. If you ever get to Hatch, do eat at Sparky's.

        #5
        Hatch Chicken Chili!

        Comment


          #6
          Growing up and living in wine country, I've had winemaker friends talk about the "terroir" of grapes/wine. The terroir is the effect of environmental conditions (climate, soil, water, aspect, etc.) on the taste of the wine. It is why an area like Napa Valley is noted for it's Cabernets while Mendocino County is noted for it's Zinfandels. The differences are very subtle, but I've had the opportunity to do some great tastings with winemaker buddies who coach you how to look for those subtleties. The same holds true, I believe, for any vegetable. In the pepper department, the peppers we grow up here in Mt Shasta (jalapenos, Anaheims, poblanos, cayennes, etc.) have a definitely different "terroir" than the ones we grew in Mendocino County. Different soils, way different climate, 3,000' elevation difference, different plant strains depending on source, and many other factors influence the final product. I'm sure you all know this, but "terroir" is such a cool word and I saw an opportunity to use it in a few sentences.

          Comment


          • Willy
            Willy commented
            Editing a comment
            Agreed! My main point is that the "Hatch terroir" extends far beyond Hatch along the Rio Grande. For those who maintain Hatch chiles are special, I point to the fact that many more chiles are sold as Hatch than can be raised there. Many aficionados may have never had a true Hatch chile.

          • CaptainMike
            CaptainMike commented
            Editing a comment
            Marketing. I had a realtor friend tell me he was horseback riding with a grape grower whose vineyard was split by the Napa/Lake county lines. Same grapes, the ones on the Lake County side got $1600/ton and the ones on the Napa County side got $2800/ton. I wonder how many Lake County grapes got "accidentally" tossed into the Napa bins....

          #7
          Precisely! marketing!

          Comment


            #8
            What is it about peppers. Now NPR has an article about them https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...lorados-pueblo

            Comment


            • Willy
              Willy commented
              Editing a comment
              "What is it about peppers?"

              Why, like Frosted Flakes, they're GREAT!

              (Just kidding about the Frosted Flakes)

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