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PuebloChile.com
Spare No Char!
If it's not fire roasted...
The Pueblo Chile is uniquely suited to being flame roasted, with a much thicker and meatier wall and durable skin... plus the Scovilles to back up the flavor!
5-20k
Scoville Units
100mg
Vitamin C
5mg+
Dietary Fiber
100%
Delicious
The Pueblo Chile - Unsung Hero of Colorado
The Pueblo Chile is a most remarkable crop. If you want something to make just about any savory kitchen creation more vibrant and delicious, you need look no further than the Pueblo Chile. In fact, even non-savory dishes can be a delight. Chile Ice Cream is a fantastic dessert.
There are so many applications for the Pueblo Chile. The most popular is Pork Green Chili made with fire-roasted Pueblo Chiles. This “sauce” can cover or enhance just about any dish found in Mexican cuisine. And in fact, one of its most popular incarnations is as the highlight of “The Slopper” - a hamburger buried in pork green chili and other toppings. Not exactly Mexican fare.
You’ll find that the Pueblo Chile is the lynchpin of a variety of culinary fusions. One of the most popular pizzas to be found in Pueblo, Colorado is covered in roasted Pueblo Chiles. It is not uncommon to find them in the local marinara. Pueblo Chile Beer? Yes, please!
Coloradoans can’t seem to get enough of the Pueblo Chile. Whole Foods locations in the Rocky Mountain region carry the Pueblo Chile rather than the much more widely grown Hatch Chile. An excellent way to find them and give them a try.
A Brief History
Chile Peppers have been grown in the Pueblo region for over a hundred years. But the current variety called the Pueblo Chile was developed relatively recently. The parent strain is called the MiraSol Chile (Spanish for looking at the sun). MiraSol Mosco is the more exact name. It was a seed saved by Harry Mosco in 1987 and then selectively bred for positive traits by Dr. Mike Bartolo of the Colorado State University Arkansas Valley Research Center.
Dr. Bartolo made over 400 single plant selections over 19 years to come up with what we all know and love to be the Pueblo Chile. (truly a labor of love)
The Elephant in the Room: What About Hatch?
A fun “rivalry” popped up in recent years between New Mexico and Colorado. Which is better- Hatch Green Chile or Pueblo Chile? If you’ve witnessed the blind taste tests, you’ll agree that Pueblo wins most of them. It’s not really a fair contest, though. Has the Hatch Green Chile gone through 400 single plant selections to get where it is today?
The Pueblo Chile is definitely spicier. Hatch comes in at around 2,000 scoville units, while the Pueblo varies between 5,000 and as high as 20,000. The Pueblo Chile also has a thicker, meatier wall and more durable outer skin. This means that it holds up to fire roasting better. The thicker skin can be a bit of a detriment, though, if not roasted. The Pueblo Chile is also a bit shorter than Hatch.
When it comes to acres in cultivation, there really is no comparison. Hatch has in the ballpark of ten times as much acreage growing their chiles. Dr. Bartolo likes to say that the Pueblo Chile is “the Kim Kardashian of crops”; meaning that it is much more of a boutique/cottage industry. Still, it is estimated that the Pueblo Chile accounts for around $3 Million in business each year.
The same comparison could be made between New Mexico Chile and the chile industry in Mexico. Chile cultivation in Mexico is ten times larger than in New Mexico.
That being said, be ready to pay more for Pueblo Chile than Hatch. And be ready to pay more for Hatch than just any chile.
Frequetly Asked Questions
Is the Pueblo Chile just a variation of the one found in Hatch, New Mexico?
Though the peppers themselves may look similar, they have different origins. The Pueblo Chile is a subset of the Mirasol cultivar. It has characteristics similar to the Capsicum Frutescens species of chiles, in that the fruits don't hang down, they point up toward the sun (looking at the sun=Mirasol).
Why is the Pueblo Chile called the "Kim Kardashian" of Chiles?
Because she be thicc. And hard to get your hands on.
Where can you find Pueblo Chile for sale?
The Pueblo Chile is only found in Pueblo County, Colorado; as well as local Whole Foods in Colorado. Some growers offer to ship the beauties, but generally all stock is sold out quickly.
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Site: www.pueblochile.com