SCOVILLE HEAT UNITS: 4,000-6,000 SHU
The Chimayo is another New Mexico chile, but it is a unique one. It is not commercially mass produced, but is more commonly grown in individual homes and gardens, making them unpredictable and un-conforming, in a good way. The length can vary from 4-7 inches, even from the same plant, and the shape could be straight and skinny or bent and curly.
The Chimayo has been grown throughout northern New Mexico for so many generations that it is commonly called “native chile” and seeds are often passed down through families. They are exchanged almost ceremoniously, often as a gift, or while visiting a relative.
Outside of New Mexico, most people who know of the Chimayo chile are only familiar with its powdered form, called Molido.
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