Chile is a household word in New Mexico. As a ne resident or a tourist it is to your advantage to learn as soon as possible the answer to the question simply put, ?Red or hot? If you don?t, you may find yourself waiting interminably to be served at restaurants, or even worse, make the wrong choice and regretting it.
Chile, a hot not sweet pepper, grows in New Mexico and is the most pervasive condiment in Southwestern cooking. Chiles come in two colors, red and green. Connoisseurs can distinguish the flavors of the two and will swear one is hotter than the other. Personally, I think the distinction depends largely on the preparation of the chile, a particular dish, and the myriad ways in which the peppers may be used to enhance flavors. I like red chile in some dishes and green in others. I think red can be much hotter.
Many stories beyond its culinary uses surround the chile. One relates to a Christmas tradition-the story of the Christmas Chile. It is said that in the Southwest, it is a tradition that after the Christmas tree is decorated and the children fall asleep, their parents carefully hide a chile among the limbs of the tree. On Christmas morning eager children search for the chile knowing that Santa leaves an extra present to the child who finds it first. Will you be continuing this Southwestern tradition this Christmas Eve?
Happy holidays!
