General InformationÂ
Dried New Mexico chile peppers are small and oblong, averaging 12-17 centimeters long and only 5 centimeters wide. Their smooth shiny skin has a deep red-brown color. Offering hints of sweet dried cherry and a crisp clear acidity, they are considered a mild chile ranging between 800 and 1,400 Scoville Heat Units. New Mexico chile peppers are often confused with Anaheim or California chile peppers, which are usually milder in heat and flavor.
History
New Mexico chile peppers may have a name from the United States, but they are actually native to Central Mexico. Developed over the last 130 years at New Mexico State University, the pepper is perhaps best known for the region’s iconic red or green chile sauce. Like most chile peppers they first appear green and later ripen to red, becoming less pungent and sweeter with age. The two different colored sauces that they pepper yields has become a statewide debate as to which one is superior.
