Chiles have always been the spice of life to me. They play a major role in Southwestern dishes and are intricately woven into cuisines all over the world, since their introduction more than 500 years ago. They spice up Asian foods and are characteristic of several cuisine styles, including their use in Szechuan Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai dishes. They add heat to East Indian curries, are a part of African cuisine, and are used in Cajun and Creole cuisine. Chiles are intricately used in the cuisines of Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean, as well as the American Southwest , and play an integral role in many dishes we enjoy every day.

Here in New Mexico, these fruits are prized. After all, our official state question is “Red or green?” Those who aren’t from here might wonder what they are being asked. The rest of us know that it’s a question of which chile you want, because chiles are intertwined into the fabric of the land and into the cuisine.

Chiles, varieties of berry-fruit plants from the genus Capsicum, both hot and sweet, originated in what is now the Caribbean and in Mexico and were most likely first cultivated by the Aztec peoples. In Christopher Columbus’ journal in 1493, chiles were called “aji” by the Indigenous people on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. The chiles were noted to have been abundant, according to Sylvia A. Johnson in the chapter, “Peppers, Hot and Sweet,” from her book Tomatoes, Potatoes, Corn, and Beans (Atheneum, 1997). Columbus called the aji a “pepper,” comparing it to the precious black pepper that he was in search of, and more than 500 years after that first encounter with these fruits, chiles, stemming from the word chilli among the Nahuatl-speaking tribes, are all now called “chile peppers.”

In terms of ethnobotany, these little fruits are not peppers at all, nor are they even closely botanically related. But because Columbus wanted to find black pepper, he called them peppers, and the name stuck. The plants and the food products made from them are among the most important spices in the world, with most people not even knowing the story of their origin, their importance to the Indigenous peoples who first cultivated them, or that they are not a “pepper” but a pungent fruit with spice. After the Columbian exchange, many varieties of this cultivar spread around the world, where they are now used as not only food but also as medicine.

Chiles have powerful health benefits, according to many health professionals and online medical resources. The capsaicin in chiles can contribute to gut health and weight loss. Contrary to the belief that chiles upset your stomach, they can be an antiirritant and can soothe digestive issues, including upset stomachs, and may even treat stomach ulcers. This is due to the fact that chiles are so rich in antioxidants that they stimulate gastric juices in the body (and this is more so in their powder form), helping to work against acidity in your digestive tract.

These fruits may reduce the risk of certain cancers, can alleviate migraines, fight inflammation, decrease

the risk of Type 2 diabetes, help with cardiovascular health, and promote red blood cell growth. They may also improve cognitive function and eyesight, clear a runny nose, and help to keep your hair and skin healthy. They are chock-full of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, and antioxidants. In fact, one medium-sized New Mexico green chile has the vitamin C equivalent of about three oranges.

And they can speed up your metabolism. When you eat a chile, you feel warm. That’s because the chile stimulates the metabolism and more blood pumps through your body. But feeling warm is not the only trigger; they also release endorphins, the neurotransmitters in the body that reduce pain and increase euphoria. I call this the feel-good mechanism from chiles and is similar to the effect of eating chocolate and exercising. Athletes often describe this euphoric feeling as being “in the zone.” What they are describing is the release of endorphins that are making them feel good.

Whether chiles were cooked, roasted, and peeled; eaten fresh, dried, and ground into powder; or used as a seasoning, this indigenous American fruit was and still is an important part of the Native American diet, Native American cuisine, and New Mexican cuisine, and is considered a New Mexican treasure. They truly are the spice of life.