A rare treat getting rarer: Chimayo Red, New Mexico’s ‘holy chile’

Fidel Martinez raises a quarter-acre of chile at his ancestral home in Chimayo, but he only gives it away to family and friends.

A beloved heirloom variety of New Mexico red chile commands high prices because of its scarcity. Finding farmers to continue cultivating it has become a challenge.

(Image credit: John Burnett)

A beloved heirloom variety of New Mexico red chile commands high prices because of its scarcity. Finding farmers to continue cultivating it has become a challenge.