Graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Annelise has spent her career making sure food sounds appetizing on paper, looks good in pictures and tastes amazing when you order it. Her day-to-day consists of working as Marketing Manager at Ready Foods to connect food service operators with ready-to-use kitchen solutions that are easy to incorporate into a kitchen flow and bring great flavor to menu items. Her favorite hot lunch in elementary school was always nacho day. Ready Foods Annelise McAuliffe Soares Ready-to-Use Tips!
Ready for a fun food debate? Read on! If you’re not from the southwest, you may not feel the need to proclaim your alliance to the Hatch or Pueblo chile side. You may not even know what we’re talking about! Roasted, mild chiles are trending. They bring a great earthy, smokey flavor to mac and cheese, burritos, pizza, even pie! (Think a sweet and savory pie, like a peach pie with a few diced chiles in the filling mix.) If you have a recipe that uses bell peppers, we highly suggest swapping it out for the Hatch or Pueblo chile for a fun new take. So, what is the debate all about? The Hatch pepper hails from New Mexico, where it must be grown in the protected Hatch region. Think of Champagne grapes having to be grown and made into wine in the Champagne region of France in order to get its name. Similarly, the Pueblo chile is a different kind of pepper that must come from Pueblo, Colorado. While these peppers are very different, both are grown by amazing farmers, harvested in the fall and roasted to perfection. Once roasted, they can be stored in a freezer and enjoyed all winter long. With growing regions a mere 500 miles apart, Hatch and Pueblo chiles could not be more different from each other. Despite the competitive debate of which is better, comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges. Here are their differences. Pueblo Chiles The Great Chile Debate!
History: Mirasol’s Mosco is the true variety name of the Pueblo chile. A Mirasol’s Mosco can be grown elsewhere, but it can only be called a Pueblo chile if it is grown in Pueblo, CO. “Mira sol” means to look at the sun and references the growing pattern of the chiles. Unlike many other peppers, the Pueblo chile grows pointing up, towards the sun, instead of hanging down. Colorado’s hot sunny days, cool nights, and dry climate are ideal for giving the chili its hot, bold flavor and thicker skin, which leads to a delightful crunch. The history of the Pueblo chile is uncertain, but a variety that is similar to what is now grown in Pueblo was most likely first brought to the area in the 1840’s. Since then, selective cultivation and planting has turned the chile into the crop we see today. Hatch Chiles
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Heat Level? The heat level of Hatch chiles ranges from 0 to 7,000 Scoville Heat Units , depending on the variety planted. Milder and more consistent in heat level than Pueblo chiles, Hatch chiles are great for cooking because they provide a balanced, tickle of heat.
History: Technically Hatch is not a type of pepper. Hatch is a marketing term that refers to a New Mexico Chile that has been grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. The Hatch chile must be grown in the Hatch Valley in order to be called Hatch, otherwise it is simply a New Mexico Chile. This modern-day chile plant was developed at New Mexico State University in 1894. The peppers start out green and then ripen to red, although most are harvested before they change color. The shape of a Hatch pepper is longer and skinnier than a Pueblo pepper. Their short growing season helps make Hatch peppers special, they’re planted in April and harvested in August. To preserve the peppers for later in the year, many are roasted and frozen after harvesting.
Heat Level? The heat levels of Pueblo chiles are generally higher and tend to have a wider range than a Hatch. The spiciness ranges from 5,000 to 20,000 Scoville Heat Units.
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