America the Bountiful

[Capri] I'm pretty sure I'm a chilies groupie, so this is going to be great.

In the state of New Mexico, it's a cherished debate.

So, New Mexico, our state question is, red or green?

[man] Well, I have a saying.

Green chilies is why you move here, but red chilies is why you stay.

I love it.

Here, chilies are the celebrated backbone of Southwestern cuisine.

These are very hot.

I can feel the heat on my tongue.

And it's making my eyes water.

It means business.

We're traveling the state to explore its variety of chili peppers purposed in a variety of ways.

It's like, literally the best burger I've ever had.

[laughing] And joining in the annual competition for the best in New Mexico.

Now is the time to pick the winners.

I'm still trying to make my choice of who the top pick is.

I'm Capri Cafaro and I'm on a mission to uncover the incredible stories of the foods we grow... ...harvest, create... ...and celebrate.

Beautiful, amazing meal.

So, I'm traveling America's backroads to learn our cherished food traditions from those who make them possible... Look at that.

...and are helping keep them alive.

There is so much more to learn.

[man] It's just a tradition here in this area.

-[gunshot] -[woman] Mmm hmm.

[Capri] On "America the Bountiful."

[announcer] America's farmers have nourished us for generations, but today they face unprecedented challenges.

American Farmland Trust works with farmers to help save the land that sustains us.

Together we can work to keep America bountiful.

[Capri] The chili pepper, a delicate, yet hearty fruit, renowned and respected for its variety, flavor and heat.

Has a commanding presence in the cuisine and broader culture of New Mexico that is difficult to match elsewhere.

The Santa Fe Farmers Market, one of the oldest and largest in the nation, is the perfect place to kick off a trip in search of the chili pepper.

Market enthusiast, Dr. Stephanie Walker, is a New Mexico State University professor, and a director of the Chili Pepper Institute in New Mexico.

I know how important agriculture is to the state of New Mexico.

And obviously, chilies are synonymous to the state.

So, why is that?

How did that happen?

Well, chilies have deep historic roots here.

They've been grown here for more than 400 years.

We have written records that the Spanish first brought up chili seeds.

Although it's possible Native Americans were trading chili before then.

So, once the chili got here, people really fell in love with it.

Well, I know when I visited New Mexico previously, I fell in love with chilies immediately.

There has to be a reason as well with the landscape and with the climate.

Well, sure, when people first started growing chili here, they discovered it grew very, very well here.

You know, we have kind of harsh growing conditions.

But actually, the rough soil, the bright light, the long season really gives us very flavorful hot chili here.

So, we have great growing conditions to grow really high quality chili.

Well, I know you know a thing or two about chili, and I can't leave without trying some peppers.

You've got to know someone good.

Oh, yes.

Here at the Santa Fe Farmers Market, Matt Romero, he's an amazing chili grower and actually has his own family line of chili that he offers.

[Capri] Matt Romero runs Romero Farms, a family farm passed down from his uncle.

So, how long have you been growing?

Twenty-two years now.

And how long have you been out here selling at the farmer's market?

Since four this morning.

Oh, well, okay.

Since four this morning.

Twenty years.

-Okay.

Twenty years.

-Twenty years.

Yes.

[Capri] Romero Farms is located in the town of Dixon, an hour north of Santa Fe.

Most of our growing is done in the Espaola Valley in a small town called Alcalde.

Mmm hmm.

Amazing soil.

It's all Riparian, illuviated sand along the Rio Grande.

What is the difference between growing in the north of New Mexico and growing in the south?

To the north, our days are not as hot, and our nights are much cooler.

And part of that equation is what creates the flavor in our chili.

I know that is a big question here in New Mexico, team red or team green?

So, you're team red?

Team red.

Wow.

Well, I have a saying.

Green chilies is why you move here, but red chili is why you stay.

I love it.

I love it.

[Capri] In the 1970s, New Mexico State evolved the modern chili plant.

Matt's uncle was given seeds from that variety and continued refining it.

And so, when I came onboard 25 years later, he gave me the seed to start my farm with.

[Capri] Are these mild?

Are these hot?

[Matt] These are very hot.

[Capri] I definitely want to try a few.

One of the things we tell people, when you deal with hot chili, it's like prescription medication.

You better know your dosage.

Well, you might have to give me a little bit of guidance, although I do love the heat.

Be careful, because when you bite these, they're going to return the favor.

-Oh, brave lady.

-Oh, yeah.

Is it biting you back yet?

-Not yet.

-Okay.

Not yet.

Remember, the tip is always milder.

So, as you go up, the heat is actually in the placenta veins of the pepper.

Maybe green will bite me.

[all laughing] Mmm hmm.

Well, good.

I'm glad.

Green is biting me back a little bit more.

I can feel the heat on my tongue.

These are both really wonderful.

You can taste the freshness.

I'm getting a little bit more of that bite now.

It's wonderful.

And I really thank you both.

Thank you for educating me.

Thank you for sharing your very special peppers.

Well, you know, this is what happens when you don't go to college, and this is what happens when you do.

[laughing] Well, no matter what, we still get to eat the peppers.

And we still love chili regardless of how you come at it.

That's right.

Well, thank you.

You're very welcome.

Our pleasure.

[Capri] Family traditions and chili can be found all throughout the state.

[man] We've been farming in the area for about seven years now.

[Capri] Cole Viramontes, with his wife Jamie and two children is a third generation New Mexico farmer.

So, my grandpa started the farm, and then when my dad took over, that's whenever the Chilis and the rest of the vegetables started to kick in.

Yeah, well, chilies are iconic in New Mexico.

I know that there's mild ones.

There's hot ones.

There's extra hot ones.

There's green.

There's red.

What kind is this?

This is a matador This is one of our hot varieties.

Do these stay green or do the green chilies turn into red?

The plant is not a determinate plant, so it will set fruit from the bottom and then it'll start setting in the middle, and then it will set in the top, so what you have is an immature plant.

Okay.

But as it's setting towards the top, the green starts to fade out of the bottom pods, the chlorophyll leaving the pod because it has matured.

And so the red color is actually the removal of the chlorophyll.

What does that-- How does that change the taste?

So, when the chlorophyll leaves the pod, it exposes the sugars that are in the plant the whole time.

But when the chlorophyll leaves, those sugars are more prevalent, so the red pod got a lot sweeter flavor than just the green pod.

That's why New Mexico is-- Our state question is, red or green?

You team red or team green?

You guys say team red and team green.

Yeah, most people say both.

[Capri] Everything is hand harvested here since the plants set fruit at different stages, and because the plants are too delicate for typical machine harvesting.

How do you know that a chili plant is hot?

If you don't know the variety, you've just got to taste it and find out.

Great.

Well, I'm ready to try it and taste it and find out, too.

Also, if you cut into the pod, and if the veins are yellow, that's usually a sure indicator.

But if you just bite into it, it's too late.

-It's too late.

-It's too late.

Your eyes start watering and you just start sweating.

[Capri] Too late now.

Yeah.

And I can't wait to try some at some point today, but I know that there's a process that these have to go through.

I want to see how the roasting happens.

I want to see every part of the process.

Oh, for sure.

[Cole] This is a chili roaster.

We take the fresh chilies from the field.

We load them into this barrel roaster, and we do a quick roast on it.

Mmm hmmm.

And that burns the skins on the chilies.

And then it makes it easier for the skins to come off so that whenever we dump it out, it's ready to go in the freezer or it's ready to go on the plate.

[Capri] It takes just about 5 minutes to roast in this barrel roaster.

Starting to see the skin turn that darker color.

It's a very unique smell.

It's a New Mexican smell.

[Capri] Whoa.

And I feel the heat in my nose and in my throat.

[chuckle] I didn't expect this to be a full sensory experience.

That capsaicin will vape off of there, so every once in a while, it'll choke you up, so be careful.

Yeah, that's okay.

I'm ready.

[Capri] Capsaicin is an active compound in chili peppers that creates the sensation of heat.

[Cole] Stretch that on there.

I feel like this is an art and a science.

There they go.

-Wee.

-There they go.

[Cole] Give it a shot.

Oh, yeah.

This is so good.

It is hot.

It is hot, and it's making my eyes water, so there's that.

This means business.

It means business.

Awesome.

What's going on over here?

We are making chili ristras.

[Capri] What's a ristra?

[woman] A long time ago, they would make these to dry out the pods so that the pods could be used to cook with.

And typically, I mean, we still cook a lot with dried red chili, and we'll make sauces and different things to go into different recipes.

Now, there's a lot of different ways to do that, but traditionally that's what it looked like.

And so now what we use them for is mostly decoration.

So, if you drive around all over the Southwest, a lot of times you'll see ristras hanging in front of buildings or just as decoration.

It just seems to be a really cool icon for the Southwest.

So, it's like the welcoming wreath of New Mexican.

Yeah, basically.

And a lot of them can be turned into wreaths now.

-It's really-- -Oh, neat.

it's mostly just artwork.

Well, you can do much more with chilies than just eat them.

How long does it take to get as dry as this?

[woman] So, it takes several months for them to dry out.

These ones in particular have been drying for about a year.

I have seen these in previous visits to New Mexico.

Had no idea of their back story.

[woman] It is a good "Welcome to New Mexico" sign.

[Capri] We're going to put those chilies we roasted to good use.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

[Cole] We got the rest of the peeling cleaned off of them, so they're ready to go.

Oh, they look beautiful.

They smell beautiful.

I just love the color of chilies.

What are you going make?

So, tonight we're going to make a simple but super flavorful dish that every New Mexican knows, and its chili relleno.

Chili relleno.

So, okay, how are we going to put this together?

It's a simple process.

We're going to slice some cheese then we're going to put it in the chilies, and then we're going to make a batter.

Then we're to take everything out to the grill and give it a little fry.

[Capri] What kind of cheese is this?

[Cole] This is muenster.

You can use whatever cheese you like.

This is just my favorite type of cheese.

This is a family recipe then?

Yes, growing up, I used to love to sit in the kitchen and do my homework while my mom cooked.

And she actually passed away a few years ago battling cancer.

Oh, my goodness.

I'm sorry.

And so, the kitchen is a place that I still feel connected to her, and it's a way that my kids can still know their Nannie through the food.

You have those memories and you can get back to that taste, and you go there.

It sounds like that's how this particular chili recipe transports you back to your mom's kitchen.

[Cole] It sure does.

So, we're just going to punch a little hole in the top with your finger and then slide that cheese-- It's like a pocket.

--right on in.

It's a pepper pocket.

And that's it.

That's all there is to it.

[Capri] There's nothing better than something fresh off the plant.

[Cole] Exactly.

Oh, and the last thing.

You can't forget.

You've got to sprinkle it with a little bit of garlic salt.

[Capri] Yes.

You can never have too much garlic salt on these.

[Capri] For his relleno batter, Cole mixes eggs with milk, flour and garlic salt.

All right.

We're going to take everything outside and go get it on the grill.

All right, let's do it.

I want to carry the precious cargo.

This is mine.

All right.

There you go.

Let me follow you.

All right, this way.

The grill's nice and hot and ready for our chilies.

Then start adding our chilies.

[Capri] I'll follow you.

Well, teamwork makes the dream work.

[Cole] Exactly.

You've got to get a good coating.

Good coating.

And then right on into the mix.

I'll say about two minutes per side, maybe.

I mean, it smells incredible already.

[Capri giggles] [Cole] Nice and simple New Mexican treat.

I cannot wait.

Oh, yeah.

That's a nice golden-- [Cole] That's exactly what we want.

[Capri] Nice.

I cannot wait to taste.

We've got a fresh pot of beans inside to accent it.

-Okay.

-We're ready.

Let's go on in and get those beans.

Okay.

Sit down for dinner.

[Capri] That looks incredible.

All right, I going to try one of each.

Okay, we'll see what happens here.

It's hot.

It has a kick.

It has a kick.

The cheese is fantastic.

It does balance out that heat really well.

I like it.

And then the beans.

Now, did the beans come from the farm, too?

Yes, we grow them here.

What kind of beans are these?

Pinto beans.

Pinto beans.

I've officially decided the green is the hot and the red is the medium.

You'll get a good bite at the bottom, but as you work your way up, it does get hotter.

Cole, did you grow up hanging around the farm, too, back in the day?

I did.

Born and raised out here.

Getting to work with my dad and learn from him.

Ninety-five percent of what I know about the farm is from my dad.

It's a passing down of that knowledge.

It's a passing down.

My dad taught me how to farm.

We want to continue the next generation, which is right there.

It really is inspiring.

Can I have some leftovers?

-Sure.

-Of course.

For the road?

Actually, we always make extra because the next day, they make excellent burritos.

Excellent burritos.

Okay, well.

A burrito is like on-the-go food.

You wrap it up with some tortilla and put some beans on it and put some foil on it and throw it in your pickup and the dash warms it up for you.

That is a good idea.

I'm always on the road, so you know what?

I'm going to take these on the road with me.

And while leftover burritos do make excellent road food, the chili trail in southern New Mexico has a number of roadside restaurants not to be missed, especially in the chili growing epicenter of Hatch.

Sparky's Burgers, is the realized dream of Josie Nunn and her husband, Teako.

Famous for its eclectic decor, revered burgers and a menu featuring hatch chili in many forms.

[Teako] I'm glad you came.

That's the green chili cheeseburger.

And that's a green chili lemonade.

I have so many questions about this incredible place.

It just is such this piece of Americana.

[Josie] Well, to begin with, we've always collected all this stuff, so we had it at our house.

-Still is in the house.

-Still is in the house.

We've been together for 43 years.

She's going to admit it now.

Every time we would give each other gifts, it was an old piece of antique or something.

And our dates were, we'd get in the car and just travel the back roads and get jukeboxes, slot machines, signs.

That was our dates.

That's what we did for fun.

You guys are obviously a lot of fun, and it comes through.

I mean, how original this place is, and the food is original as well.

And we're in a Hatch, which is, you know, at least they claim, the chili capital of the world.

The green chili capital of the world.

The green chili capital of the world.

So, you got to have chili integrated into all your menu items, which you do.

This is the world-famous burger.

Award-winning, right?

Oh, we just got first place at the Albuquerque State Fair.

You got to tell me about this burger, so I can get in there.

The burger is really simple.

It's just a seven-ounce patty of USDA, black angus, ground chuck.

And then when we put it on the grill, my pop and his running buddy back in the early 70s came up with the seasoning.

We carried the seasoning forward, and then it's hot, diced, hatch, green chili, like four ounces.

And we cover the patty.

[Capri] Now, I'm assuming these hatch green chilies come from Hatch, right?

[Teako] We know the family.

They bring it to us every Thursday.

The sons, the grandsons now, we know them all.

Wow.

Well, that's wonderful.

I mean, you really keeping it within the community.

[Teako] Oh, yeah.

There's generations.

And it's just regular American cheese, right?

Just a slice of American.

That's what makes everything stand out.

It's so simple.

[Capri] Yeah, well, sometimes simple is the best.

All right.

We're going to check this out.

Oh, my gosh.

This is like, literally the best burger I've ever had.

[laughing] -I mean.

-Really?

I love chilies to begin with.

I love green chilies.

They're one of my favorite things, and I try to put them in everything.

It never occurred to me to put them on a burger.

This is totally life-altering.

Oh, I can taste-- Here's the heat.

The heat's coming in.

Mmm hmm.

It really is a unique flavor that is capturing the the heartbeat of the green chili capital of the world.

[Teako] Yeah.

I love it.

Now I'm a little bit nervous though to wash down hatch chilies with hatch chilies.

[Teako] We do the lemonade from scratch.

And that's like a quarter cup at least.

Four ounces at least of green chili.

[Josie] You're getting a little bit of sweet with the hot.

I have to tread lightly first because I wasn't sure.

I'm not afraid of heat.

That really is sweet and tart.

That is really, really nice.

It adds something.

Because sometimes lemonade on its own, sometimes it can be a little bit too sweet.

The green chilies in it balances that out.

Brings actually, I think to me, the tartness of the lemon out even more so than the sweet.

So, I like that little kick.

Yeah.

You could get that little bite too.

So, do you play around to figure out what's good?

Josie and Michelle, they did the drinks.

With hatch chilies here, you know, we should use them, right?

That's right.

We put them in our ice creams.

We use red chili on our shakes.

Do you have one with chocolate?

[Josie] Oh, yeah.

We made one special for Ozzy Osborne.

It's green chili and chocolate, and it's just really good.

Okay, now I've got to try this because I love chocolate with a spice kick, and I love Ozzy.

So, you know, let the madness begin, as Ozzy would say.

Bring on that chocolate shake.

Oh, wow.

Thank you, Michelle.

I appreciate it.

I did not expect a topping.

They're like sprinkles.

But they're chilies.

Chili sprinkles.

Chili sprinkles.

All right.

This is good.

This is very, very good.

So, again, that sweet.

And then the heat, sweet heat.

It is good.

The chocolate really does make the chili come out more.

Ozzy devoured it.

Well, if Ozzy likes it, then I like it, too.

I am enjoying every last bit of this.

-Thank you so much.

-Glad you came.

No, I'm glad I came because this is a once in a lifetime treat.

[Capri] Just like Sparky's green chili burger was named the best in the state, New Mexicans are about to decide who gets that honor for best chili at the New Mexico Chili Taste-Off.

So, this is actually our fourth annual event.

It was started back in 2018.

And the whole idea behind it was Colorado versus New Mexico chili.

And we believe here New Mexico, we have the best chili.

We find the best red and best green chili grower in New Mexico.

And we allow them to promote their business for the entire year and say that they have the best chili in the United States.

So, we have growers from all around the state.

We have the northwestern corner all the way down into Hatch.

and the southern part of the state.

Okay.

Well, what's the criteria there?

So, we're looking for heat levels, consistency as far as flavoring.

For us, we actually don't add any spices to the chili.

So, it's all about right out of the field to the restaurant being processed.

And let's just go off of who has the best chili just based on natural taste itself.

Awesome.

Field to face.

I hope that I get a chance to judge some green chilies.

Absolutely.

Have you on the list ready to go.

-Okay, let's do it.

-Let's do it.

[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce to you our distinguished panel of chili experts.

I'd like to invite our team to bring down the chili.

It's a sample number.

We've got 10 samples.

One.

[sniffs] It definitely smells roasted.

That has a lot of heat.

Oh.

See, I want to just, like, take these on home with me.

Have you come up with any favorites?

Well, I have a short list.

I'm still trying to make my choices of who the top pick is.

Just remember, we've got the fire trucks here.

Okay.

Number eight I say is sneaky heat.

Oh.

This is really tough.

I think I've made my choice.

You can't see it.

[man] If you're ready, you can pass it.

I like to vote early.

All right, there it goes.

Secret ballot.

[announcer] Okay, so now is the time to pick the winners.

So we'll go ahead and start off with our green category.

Green.

Green.

Green.

The first place winner goes to Thomas B. Hill.

Yeah, let's give it up for Thomas B. Hill.

[cheering] [announcer] Yeah.

And the winner this year of the red, Rosales Family Farms.

[cheering] Bring the whole family up.

All right, give it up for them, everybody.

[inaudible dialogue] [Capri] Receiving this honor can be hugely beneficial for family-run farms, calling themselves the best chili in New Mexico.

And by that measure, the best in the nation.

Both winners of the red and green competition credit their success to long traditions of farming in their family and their use of time-honored techniques like sun-drying or creating their own seed stock year after year.

Beyond the taste and beyond the heat here in New Mexico, it seems the passion for chili is also synonymous with the love of family, of the memories and traditions throughout the generations, and the joy of sharing moments together at the table.

But why take my word for it, when you can come see it for yourself.

"America The Bountiful" is waiting for you and me.

For more information visit Americathebountifulshow.com.

[announcer] America's farmers have nourished us for generations, but today they face unprecedented challenges.

American Farmland Trust works with farmers to help save the land that sustains us.

Together we can work to keep America bountiful.