AUSTIN, Texas — Hatch chiles are spicing up the Texas summer yet again as H-E-B Central Market brings back its 29th annual Hatch chile pepper celebration.
The celebration started on Aug. 7 and goes through Aug. 20 and features hundreds of different Hatch-infused products like scones and other bakery items, cheeses, sauces and more.
During the two-week celebration, all Central Market locations will host in-store events, cooking classes and roastings.
But why has this specialty pepper become such a phenomenon across Texas and the Southwestern United States? And where did it come from?
What is a Hatch chile?
A Hatch chile is a type of New Mexican pepper that is grown specifically in the Hatch Valley region of southern New Mexico.
The hot pepper is described as having an earthy and smoky flavor profile because of the soil and growing conditions in the Land of Enchantment.
Because of its unique growing conditions and importance to local culture, New Mexican state legislators passed a law prohibiting the sale of chiles described as “New Mexican” unless it is grown in the state. Advertisers have to clearly identify on the packaging “Not grown in New Mexico,” if the pepper is branded as “New Mexican” and was not from the state.
Every year, Hatch, New Mexico, hosts a Hatch Chile Festival to highlight the harvest season. Typically, Hatch chile seeds are planted in April and the first harvests are in early August to September. This year’s festival is Aug. 31-Sept. 1.
Why has the pepper become so popular?
According to New Mexico Magazine, the mass production of the green pepper is all thanks to Joseph Franzoy, an Austrian immigrant who grew to love the local delicacy when he settled there in 1917. Franzoy and his family became the first commercial chile farmers in Hatch Valley and set the stage for the area to become the “Chile Capital of the World.”
The Franzoy family to this day still works with New Mexico State University to develop new varieties of chiles. The university has been credited with cultivating the Hatch chile taste we know and love.
The phenomenon was brought to Central Market back in 1995 when one roaster came to its Austin location with a single pallet of Hatch peppers. “Within 10 minutes, customers were lining up for pounds and pounds of these green gems,” a Central Market news release said.
Since then, the festival has only grown in size and scale, with the grocery chain trucking in more than 125 tons of peppers straight from Hatch, New Mexico.
If you’ve been to a Central Market location in the past week, you’ll have noticed the Hatch chile statues outside the doors and “Power to the Pepper” stickers on all Hatch pepper products throughout the entire store.
Some new Hatch-infused items this year include a Hatch Pepper Beer Bratwurst, a Hatch Chile beer by Manhattan Project Beer Co., Rio Grande Hatch Pistachios and many more new products.
If you don’t have a Central Market store near you, don’t worry. Many H-E-B stores will sell Hatch peppers and other products. Some H-E-B locations will even have in-store Hatch pepper roasting demonstrations during this brief season.
Central Market locations:
- Austin North Lamar - 4001 N. Lamar Blvd.
- Austin Westgate - 4477 S. Lamar Blvd.
- Dallas Lovers Lane - 5750 E. Lovers Lane
- Dallas Midway - 4349 W. Northwest Highway
- Dallas Preston Royal - 10720 Preston Road
- Fort Worth - 4651 West Freeway
- Houston - 3815 Westheimer Road
- Plano - 320 Coit Road
- San Antonio - 4821 Broadway St.
- Southlake - 1425 E. Southlake Blvd.