The Chile Chronicles: Tales of a New Mexico Harvest (Paperback)

~ Carmella Padilla (Author), Jack Parsons (Photographer)
Key Phrases: chile acreage, chile picker, chile rows, New Mexico, United States, Emma Jean (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Beginning with the role that chiles play in her own childhood, Carmella Padilla tells the surprisingly elaborate story of the chile, that irresistible and unforgettable flavor of the West. Originating in South America, this exotic plant gradually made its way to the New Mexican countryside, where it became an integral part of the culture. We meet the people who still depend on the chile for their livelihood, from the growers and harvesters who have pledged to keep their family heritage alive, to the scientists whose ongoing goal is to produce a richer color or easier-to-peel skin. Through vivid photographs and flowing text, we explore the life of a chile plant, finally understanding why it hurts when we bite into one, and of course, debate the ago-old question: red or green? -- Anji Keating, The Bloomsbury Review, November/December 1997

There is no doubt that this is the best book ever written on chiles in New Mexico. Padilla, along with photographer Jack Parsons, have done a superb job of documenting the history, cultural heritage, and horticulture of chiles in the state, plus profiling the farmers who grow them. This is not only solid information; many of the stories in the book are moving as they recount the love and devotion engendered by New Mexico's most famous crop. But the photography is superb, documenting the varieties, growing methods, harvest scenes, and the countryside that adjoins the growing operations, including the spectacular scenes of the Rio Grande. There is only one recipe in the book -- the tongue-in-cheek Lytle's Green Chile and Span -- but that is no problem because of a plethora of cookbooks on the subject. . . I'm going to rate the book as highly recommended and urge every true lover of chile to buy a copy -- Fiery Foods, December 1997/January 1998, Dave DeWitt

Product Description

Tells the surprisingly elaborate story of the chilli in New Mexico. We meet the people who depend on the chilli for their livelihood, from the growers and harvesters who have pledged to keep their family heritage alive, to the scientists whose on-going goal is to produce a richer colour or easier-to-peel skin. Through vivid photographs and flowing text, we explore the life of a chilli plant, finally understand why it hurts when we bite into one, and of course, debate the age-old questions: red or green?

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Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press (September 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0890133506
• ISBN-13: 978-0890133507
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #964,424 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hispanic farming vision of an essential New Mexican vegetable, January 29, 2010

By	Robert C. Ross (New Jersey) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Chiles are an essential part of the cuisine of New Mexico, and this fascinating book tells the story of how chiles are grown in the state. Look elsewhere for recipes and suggestion for how to use them; look here for the romance and the difficulties of their cultivation. (A great place to start is The Great Chiles Rellenos Book by Janos Wilder.)

Faith is an essential part of the Hispanic chile farmer's life: Padilla was told: "You become very spiritual because so much of your life depends on the God-given: the sun, the moon, the wind, the water ... Tonight, I'll pray that everything we saw [in the chile fields] today will still be here tomorrow."

In an interview, Padilla said: "I made a conscious choice not to make this a cookbook. I felt the lifestyle and societal aspects needed to be documented." She details the lives of 12 farm families on the human level, and describes the history of chile horticulture and its economic importance on a macro level. Padilla contrasts northern and southern New Mexico farmers: "The farmer who tenders her isolated chile fields in the north grows mostly to feed her family... The farmer who oversees the large fields in the south grows principally to fulfill contracts with hot-sauce makers in Louisiana."

This is the gritty view of making a living growing chiles. "Those who see just the trendiness and celebrity of New Mexico miss what's really beautiful about this state."

"Hatch Chiles" is a label of great importance among chile lovers, so important that there is absolutely no way all of the chiles bearing the label could possibly come from the area around Hatch. In Padilla's telling, Hatch is "a tiny, desolate place with more pickup trucks and tractors than people, crime and alcoholism that follow the course of the chile crop, and entertainment that means ladies' bridge games and burgers at the Dairy Queen."

New Mexico''s soil and high desert climate are excellent chile enviroments, and the state grows over 80% of the nation's chiles. But droughts, diseases, political and racial conflicts, labor problems, and severe weather all provide major hurdles to bringing in a crop.

But when everything breaks right, farmers and consumers benefit from one of the best eating vegetables; this excellent book illustrates the human cost of bringing them to the table.

Robert C. Ross 2010