Chile peppers are grown all over New Mexico, and are a lifestyle ingredient for New Mexicans! The majority of the chile is in the Southern part of the state, concentrated along the Rio Grande river. The New Mexico green chile pepper is five or six inches in length, and has a flavor described as lightly pungent similar to an onion, or like garlic with a subtly sweet, spicy, crisp, and smoky taste.

The New Mexico chile peppers, which typically grow from a green to a ripened red, are popular in the cuisine of the Southwestern United States, the broader Mexican cuisine, and an integral staple of New Mexican cuisine.

The chile pepper is one of New Mexico’s state vegetables, and is referenced in the New Mexico state question “Red or Green?” The ripened red chile retains the flavor, but adds an earthiness and bite while aging mellows the front-heat and delivers more of a back- heat.

Okay, what’s the difference between “Chile” (with an “e”), and “Chili” (with an “i”)?

Order “chile” in New Mexico and the immediate response is usually “Red or Green?”

Chile as we know it is in a variety of dishes where the major ingredient is either fresh green chile, or a sauce made from rehydrated dry red chile pods.

Don’t get us wrong... we occasionally enjoy a “good steamin’ bowl of Chili”, but we’ve come to demand much more than ground beef, beans, and cheese of our Chile! *