A New Mexico Christmas: Red and green chiles

It is starting to look so much like Christmas on the streets of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The central plaza sparkles with lights; farolitos (“little lanterns”) line the rooftops; even Metropolis Corridor is showered in shades of vivid pink and inexperienced. However yow will discover these colours all yr lengthy within the kitchens of New Mexico, the place the which means of “Christmas” takes on a unique taste.

At Tia Sophia’s restaurant, diners deck their dishes with sauces manufactured from pink or inexperienced chiles. After they cannot resolve, they get a little bit of each.

“There’s completely different complexities to the pink and the inexperienced, however they’re each amazingly good,” mentioned one buyer. “That is why I get ‘Christmas,’ as a result of I really like each of them a lot.”

Chiles are EVERYWHERE in New Mexico. The state license plate proclaims it the “Chile Capital of the World.” They’re collected in bunches, adorned with bows, even used to trim the timber. However in relation to delicacies, they’re way over decorative.

“It rankles me when folks name the chile a sauce,” mentioned Nick Maryol, the proprietor of Tia Sophia’s. “It is my very own private hang-up, I am positive. But it surely’s such an integral a part of the meal.”

Nick’s dad and mom opened the favored Santa Fe restaurant in 1975. In keeping with native legend, a former waitress, Martha Rotondo, was the primary to name the colourful chile combo “Christmas.” “She began to encourage folks to get each, get each the pink and the inexperienced,” mentioned Maryol. “And, you understand, sooner or later she stumble on the thought of calling it Christmas.”

How true is that story? “90 p.c!” he smiled.

Right this moment, it is New Mexico’s unofficial state query. However the selection between pink and inexperienced is not as black-and-white as you may assume. It is all technically the identical plant.

“So actually, the distinction between pink chile and inexperienced chile is the distinction between a grape and a raisin; one is recent, one is dry,” mentioned chef Mica Chavez, who teaches programs on New Mexico delicacies on the Santa Fe College of Cooking. 

With regards to mixing the 2, Chavez mentioned, “We’re the one area within the Southwest to do that. I am initially from El Paso, Texas. You see pink chile. You see inexperienced chile. You do not see pink and inexperienced.”

Hatch, N.M. is the state’s best-known chile-producing area. “As a result of now we have such arduous, mineral-rich, packed soil, our chile goes to tackle a unique taste than one thing grown, say, in California,” mentioned Chavez.

These inexperienced chiles, allowed to ripen and dry within the solar, flip pink, creating a unique texture and a considerably sweeter, extra difficult taste.

Chavez defined, “Folks come for the inexperienced, however you keep for the pink!”

Whereas the chile usually finally ends up on dishes like enchiladas (which suggests “with chile”), it might probably go on something. Get your omelette New Mexican Christmas-style!

You by no means want a cause, or a season, to eat chiles in New Mexico. In keeping with Maryol, “New Mexicans eat chile three meals a day, seven days every week, 12 months a yr.”

Chavez mentioned, “Folks from all over the world do not have the identical obsession with chile that we do. We understand that. We do not perceive it, however we understand it!”

Right here, EVERY DAY could be Christmas.

       
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Story produced by Dustin Stephens. Editor: Chad Cardin.