The Chile Chronicles: Tales of a New Mexico Harvest

by Carmella Padilla, Jack Parsons (Photographer)

The Chile Chronicles is a colorful visual and cultural tour through the fields, homes, and markets of New Mexico, exploring the lives and livelihoods that depend on this famous food. It documents twelve farms and farm families and the trials and triumphs of those who both depend upon and preserve this unique way of life. Just as the grape is central to the Napa and Loire Valleys, the chile is inseparable from the landscape of New Mexico. Long chile ristras, the smell of roasting chile, lush irrigated fields dotted with red, spicy hot posole, and green chile stew continue to attract newcomers and sustain a four-century tradition that is still going strong. New Mexico chile is enjoyed and savored nationally. It is a $300-million industry that involves science, economics, and enterprise. It is this fascinating tension between culture and commerce, history and progress that nurtures the chile phenomenon. With over 175 color photographs, The Chile Chronicles takes the reader on a splendid tour along the Rio Grande Valley, from the vast pepper fields of the south to the boutique chile farms of the north, all the while tying the present chile boom to the traditions that root it to New Mexico's past.

136 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1997

Reviews

[Georgia Roybal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Chile Chronicles is a book that gives a warm and wonderful view of the reality of chile growing in New Mexico. It shows the contrasts of the Northern New Mexico family farms with their heirloom chile varieties to the commercial chile operations in Southern New Mexico with chile varieties developed at New Mexico State University.

The book outlines the joys and problems of chile growing throughout the state. It even gives an outline of the various diseases that can destroy chile crops. It discusses mechanization of chile harvests in Southern New Mexico as well as the tension between the owners of the farms and the Mexican migrant laborers.

The book is chock full of heartwarming stories about the chile farmers, both big and small. My favorite story is that of an Anglo woman who bought and renovated a farm in the village of Chimayo. She decided she wanted to be a chile farmers and received advice from her Hispanic neighbors. She, in turn, adopted a foal born to a mare who died in giving birth. It is a truly heartwarming story which illustrates the communal nature of many of New Mexico's northern villages. Definitely worth reading for chile lovers and for New Mexicans.

[Joan Yokom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history of Chile in New Mexico

[Abby Stopka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book, learned a lot about chili farming and the farmers that are behind it in new mexico.