The Quiz: Fall in New Mexico also coincides with the harvest of what variety of pepper that has become synonymous with the state?
A Hatch
B Ancho
C Poblano
New Mexico chiles grown in the Hatch Valley, known as Hatch chiles, are a staple of New Mexican cuisine and an important part of the state’s economy and culture. Some form of this chile pepper has been cultivated in the area for centuries, but the modern Hatch chile was developed in the late 1890s by horticulturalists at what is now New Mexico State University. The chiles can be harvested and eaten green or red (when ripened). Both are made into sauces of equivalent colors, making the most common question in local restaurants: ‘Green or red?’
The correct answer to this quiz is Hatch.