How to identify the authentic Chimayo Red
chile.
Identifing authentic Chimayo chile is not difficult after one becomes
familar with its distict size, shape, color and smell.
Green Chimayo Chile:
When purchasing fresh green the best way to tell if it is authenic is
by its size and shape. Chimayo chile is a small chile ranging from 3 to 5 inches in size. The skin is very thin.
It has a crown top, which creates a distinct indentation at the stem. (see photo #1)
Chimayo Red:
If purchasing Chimayo red chile pods look for the size and shape the
same way you would use to identify Chimayo Green.
The second thing you must look for is the color. The color
of Chimayo chile is very distinct. The color of the pods are medium red-orange with a bit more red than orange. (See
photo #2)
To identify authentic Chimayo Red chile powder the best way to tell is
the color and smell. After the real Chimayo Red is ground into powder it turns a orange-red similar to the color of
natural baked red pottery. (See photo #3) It is much oranger and lighter than the common commodity chile
that is a med-dark brick red. (See photo # 4)
CHIMAYO RED
FAKE-CHIMAYO-RED
Buyers Beware!!!
There are many vendors out there using
the name Chimayo to sell you chile that is not authentic. If you buy these products you are getting ripped
off if you think you are buying the famous Chimayo chile from the village of Chimayo.
