But New Mexican chiles can’t be grown just anywhere: The state’s high elevation provides the required temperature swings between hot days and cool nights. (Hatch, which is in a lower part of the state, is still over 4,000 feet above sea level). Something about the Hatch Valley, they say, crisps up the texture and balances the taste. There is now an annual Hatch Chile Festival and a state chile association. There’s even a state law, enacted in 2013, that defines the parameters of a “New Mexico Certified Chile” to keep other states and countries from fraudulently labeling their peppers New Mexican.

Source: New York Times December 16, 2019 18:00 UTC