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.
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The reason (one of 'em, anyway) that NM chile is "better" is the varieties they grow--namely, they don't grow 'Anaheims'.
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'.
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