New Mexico Chile

All About Chile The Official State Question, Chile Pepper Institute at NMSU, The History of Chile, Chimayo Red, Hatch Green,

A Question of Taste - That's Very Tasteful

Question: "Red or Green?"

The state question commonly heard at many New Mexico restaurants and confounding to visitors unfamiliar with our local cuisine, "Red or Green" refers to different types of Chile or Chile Sauce. Put simply a sauce made from red or green chile by a variety of recipes, and served hot over many (perhaps any) New Mexican dish. Chile does not use vinegar, unlike most salsas, picantes and other hot sauces. Green chile is made with chopped roasted chiles, while red chile is made with chile dried and ground to a powder. Thickeners like flour, and various spices are often added, especially ground cumin, coriander and oregano (none of these is usually added to a red chile sauce, and rarely would cumin or coriander show up in a traditional green sauce). Chile is one of the most definitive differences between New Mexican and other Mexican and Mexican-American cuisines.

Note: If you answer "Christmas" it means you get both Red and Green.

Green Chile is perhaps the defining ingredient of New Mexican food compared to neighboring styles. In the past few years, green chile has grown increasingly more common outside of New Mexico, and it is a popular ingredient in everything from enchiladas and burritos to cheeseburgers, bagels, and pizzas within the state's borders.