Hatch Chile is one of the most popular peppers in New Mexico, along with Southern California and Texas. During the fall season, Hatch green chiles come across the southwest market of America, and there’s a separate fan base for them among the regional people of the valley. Undeniably, it is a treasure for the people of Hatch valley.
The season for Hatch green chiles is small, just like its region. But if you haven’t tried them yet, you are missing out on something, especially when you are a Chile lover! Hatch chiles can be grown anywhere, but the real ones come from New Mexico, which is sweet and smoky in flavors.
Let’s move forward and understand more about Hatch chiles, how they taste, and some popular recipes you can try at home.
What is Hatch Chile?
As mentioned above, Hatch chiles are peppers that are grown in New Mexico, Hatch Valley in particular. Fire-roasted Hatch Chile tastes delicious and amazingly fresh because of its sweet and smoky flavors.
In case you don’t know about the most hyped Hatch chiles, then here it is. They come in both green and red chiles. The only difference between both is that red Hatch chiles take more time to ripen than green Hatch chiles. Hence, you will be able to see several varieties in red Hatch chiles, including spicy, medium, mild, and x-hot.
The major reason behind their popularity is not just because of the incredible flavors, but also it is available for a limited season. Undoubtedly, Hatch chiles are magic once you taste them! From kids to adults in New Mexico, they just love it and try experimenting with every other dish.
The enticing smell of the fire-roasted Hatch chiles is so good – smoky, buttery, and a little sweet.
Things you must know about Hatch Chile
If you are a Hatch Chile die-hard lover, chances are you might have missed some things about it. In case you haven’t read it before, take a quick look at the below-mentioned points.
- Versatile Ingredient
The versatility of Hatch chiles is what makes them popular. You can try and experiment with them in sautés, hummus, salsa, stews, queso, or any other dip you prefer. In addition, Hatch chiles are also great for toppings in pizza, burgers, pasta, etc. Some people even try Hatch chiles on apple pies. Sounds delicious? Not sure?
Well, it depends on your taste buds how you like to savor them! Because it is sweet and spicy, some people try them on apple pies, and some people prefer to have it as toppings. Hatch chiles work both ways perfectly!
- Different Varieties
Hatch chiles come in numerous varieties. Of course, it is available in red and green peppers, but they do come in different flavors. When chiles are picked early from the garden, they are usually green. When they are roasted, it becomes smoky and spicy in flavor. On the other hand, as time passes by, chiles turn red and develop a sweet flavor with an earthy taste.
Thus, when you are buying Hatch chiles, you have to be sure about their flavor.
- Perfect Blend of Sweet & Spicy
The popularity of Hatch chiles is just because it offers a blend of flavors - sweet and spicy. Moreover, it is not that Hatch chiles are hot and spicy (like too spicy). You can buy Hatch chiles as per their heat range level that your digestive system can adjust with! From mild to extra hot, New Mexico has a lot to offer when we talk about the most hyped Hatch chiles.
Do you know what the best part is? Fire-roasted Hatch chiles taste more delicious and smokier in flavor than the normal ones. Even all the grocery stores in New Mexico get their roast chiles out, and the smell on the streets is so tempting!
Recipes you can try with Hatch Chiles
It doesn’t matter where you buy your Hatch chiles, but what matters is its authentic taste and which recipes you can try with it. So, here’s a list curated just for you to try your hands on recipes made with Hatch chiles.
- Hot Hatch Chile & Honey Chicken
This is a New Mexico-style dish where you eat hot, honey chicken with sizzling, fire-roasted Hatch chiles. If you don’t prefer fire-roasted Hatch chiles, you can go for oven-baked. So, the flavors are usually sweet and spicy with a whole lot of deliciousness. You can serve this with some avocado or some other toppings you like!
- Hatch Chile Salsa
If you love salsa, then you must try and experiment with it with Hatch Chile. The smoky and little buttery flavors of Hatch Chile will surely delight you with a scrumptious taste. You can try Hatch chile salsa with tortillas or chips. Otherwise, you can try it as toppings on grilled chicken/meat. Let us know which one you liked the most!
- Hatch Chile Cheeseburger
How about Hatch green Chile cheeseburger? Can anything taste better than this? If you love cheeseburgers and try them in different flavors, then you must try Hatch chile cheeseburger as well. The perfect blend of cheese and green Hatch chile spice is so good that chances are you might have it again and again! So, don’t miss out on cheeseburgers and Hatch Chiles.
- Hatch Chile Stew
A stew cooked with Hatch chiles, tomatoes/tomatillos, pork, onions, and cilantro/parsley will brighten your day! If you normally cook stews, then you might be aware of the flavors, spices, and ingredients used in it. How about adding this special fire-roasted Hatch chile ingredient to it? Well, sounds delectable!
Conclusion
To conclude, Hatch Chile is one of the most loved treasures of New Mexico that people all around the world try and taste. It is one of the most common ingredients for most southwestern and New Mexico dishes. The season of Hatch Chile starts at the end of the summer season and lasts until the fall season.
If you have never been to New Mexico or the Southwest, you must go and understand how people love green Hatch chiles. In case you are looking for authentic and original green Hatch chiles, you can check out Chile Monster online store. They have a huge variety of chiles available at affordable prices. Go check out now!