Why Hatch Chile?

Gary and the boys in town for a chile run and some ristras!

I lost both of these furry guys several years ago, and from time to time, I visit the site to just view this photo and remember Roody and Bert.

If you can't be here.. we'll send Hatch Chile to you!
Hatch Chile Festival
Labor Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday only.
Hatch, New Mexico U.S.A.

Why HATCH?

Of all the pepper (chile/chili) centers in the world, Hatch, Lemitar New Mexico, stands the tallest. Hatch's plant breeders and botanists are most unique.

Hatch is widely known as the designer chile/chili headquarters because Mesilla Valley farmers are constantly developing new breeds and various tastes to satisfy a steady throng of new converts.

They tailor-make chilis, which are then introduced to the locals and consumers from all over the US and many, many countries around the world like NEW car models via e-commerce and the internet.

Here in New Mexico, many say just by tasting a chili/chile pod they can tell whether the pepper was grown North, or South of Interstate 40 (formerly US Route 66), which runs from East toward Texas and West toward Arizona. Believe it or not, that little rule also holds true for South and North Korea.

One more intriguing fact is that Thai's eat more peppers than any other people in the world (an average of 5 grams per person daily in Thailand) but residents in the US Southwest are closing the gap quickly.

Click above picture for larger view!

Hatch, New Mexico - the Chili/Chile capital of the world!

Hatch is located 37 miles north of Las Cruces via I-25, and Lemitar. Many of these residents 3 miles North of Socorro. The northernmost incorporated community in Doña Ana County, the Village of Hatch is home to some 1,673 residents, and Lemitar is an even a smaller population. Many of these residents work in the fertile fields of the surrounding areas of the Mesilla valley and just outside Socorroy. The area produces the world famous Hatch chile and is home to the annual Hatch Chile Festival, which draws thousands to the village of Hatch. Both Lemitar and Hatch are located right on the banks of the Rio Grande River.

Hatch Chile Festival
Labor Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday only.
Hatch, New Mexico U.S.A.

In the Hatch/Mesilla valley and just North in Lemitar, our green chile harvest begins around July 25 and continues through the red chile harvest in late October or up through the first frost of the year.