Chimayo Chile becoming rarer as fewer farmers stick with tradition

CHIMAYO, N.M. (KRQE) – An iconic variety of chile , with deep roots in northern New Mexico, is getting harder and harder to come by. Those who grow it said it’s still an important part of their history and culture.

“In order to be Chimayo Chile, it has to be from heirloom seeds and grown in Chimayo. It’s the water, and it’s the soil that makes it special,” said Patrick Trujillo, owner of the Chimayo Trading Post in Española.

These days, he said it’s harder to come by and too expensive to sell, as much as $100/pound, and there are fewer and fewer families who are still growing the traditional chile.

“I wish more families would get into growing Chile, but it’s hard work,” said Trujillo.

Trujillo stated that the majority of those who still grow the northern New Mexico chile often don’t sell it but rather give it to family and friends.

Fidel Martinez, who is a 4th generation Chimayo Chile farmer, is still planting the same strain of seed that has been in his family for generations on the very same land.

“What makes it different is first of all is the seeds and the land itself here in Chimayo because the land itself is clayish, and that’s what gives it that sweet taste,” explained Martinez.

Now that the harvest season is coming to an end for Martinez, he is in the process of making ristras.

“Everyone does them different. This is the way my parents taught me.” He lets the pods dry in the sun and eventually grinds them up to make red chile powder. He called it “clean and original.”

These days, he only plants a quarter of an acre, and because the chile is so precious to him, he only gives it away to those closest to him. For Martinez, he hopes others in the community will keep the tradition going by only growing traditional seeds.

The New Mexico Chile Association said they aren’t sure how many Chimayo Chile farmers are left, but the decrease in planting the traditional seed is due to advances in breeding that produce more Chile per acre.

However, they said the taste is easily identifiable, and its continued planting showcases its “profound significance” across the state.

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