A History Of Chile - CHIMAYO CHILE BROTHERS

ORDER FRESH POWDERED NEW MEXICO CHILE HERE!

While most people in the world eat chili and think of Chile as a country, in New Mexico

we spell chili C-H-I-L-E, and we like it that way!

This old postcard shows Chile "Ristras" drying on an Adobe Building.

A Brief History of Chile in the Americas
Archeological evidence clearly shows that chile has been used by the people of the American continents for close to 6,000 years.

It is believed that chile spread from Central America towards the north and south, probably with the assistance of birds. There appears to a be a strong symbiosis between chile and birds--the heat of the chile fruit deters most other animals from eating it, and the birds can only pull it from the plant if the fruit is ready and the seeds are fully developed.

Indiginous cultures were already using chile in the Caribbean when Christopher Columbus arrived there; it was he who first coined the term "Chili-Pepper". He brought the spicy plant back to Spain where there was such a high demand for black peppercorn that some people actually used them as currency. While it is hotly disputed exactly how or when chile first appeared in New Mexico, the Pueblo people in the area have a long history of cultivating the spicy plant.

"Green Chile...Really ? !"

"Yes, 'green chile'," I said. I had become accustomed to the astonished looks on my customers faces when they looked at the menu and saw our most cherished New Mexico treasure listed as an option for something to have with his eggs. "Well, bury me in an ant-hill and smear my ears with jelly!" my out-of-state guest exclaimed with a thick Texas accent, "Where I come from we throw away the chili when it turns green!" I calmly explained that he should try the green chile on his eggs and that if he didn't like it I would pay for his breakfast myself. After Breakfast I came to the table to see how he was doing. His face was a little flushed but he looked happy..."Son, you just made a friend for life! That there is by far the best chili I ever had!"

True story as told by a Santa Fe Waiter

Fresh New Mexico Green Chile !

Most of the modern commercial varieties of chili grown in New Mexico were developed by Fabian Garcia, whose efforts towards the improvement of New Mexico agriculture led to the prestigious place that New Mexico now holds in the world of hot pepper.