‘Hatch’ing Trend…
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Photo courtesy of Ron Cliver
Hello Cheese Enthusiast!
Although my travels during these days have been suspended, my mind (and taste buds) are currently vacationing in Austin, TX….Why Austin you ask??….Well its Hatch Chile Season of course!!
My friends at Central Market, (a division of H-E-B Markets) in Austin have been celebrating the harvest of these amazing peppers (August 5th-25th) for the last twenty-five years. This event has grown so big that in 2013, the New Mexico Tourism Department certified that the Central Market event is “the most authentic Hatch festival outside of New Mexico.” This celebration has carried over to their H-E-B locations as well and combined they will bring in 330,000 lbs. of these peppers to sell in their produce departments as well as fire-roasted at selected locations.
Photo courtesy of NMSU Archives & Special Collections
All of this attention has caused several cheese producers to create Hatch Chile cheeses….but where did this all start?
Photo courtesy of NMSU Archives & Special Collections
Dr. Fabián Garcia (1871-1948) was born in Chihuahua, Mexico and came to Doña Ana County, New Mexico with his grandmother in 1874 after his parents died. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1889 and started attending classes at the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (now known as New Mexico State University). After graduating in 1894, he went on to continue his studies at Cornell University, only to return to the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1906 to become a professor of horticulture. In 2019, he was inducted into the National Agricultural Center’s Hall of Fame in Kansas (joining the ranks of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Eli Whitney) for his contributions to agriculture. He was referred to as "the father of the New Mexican food industry" as he helped to develop new varieties of chile peppers, pecans, and onions that are still grown in New Mexico today. Of all of these, it was the New Mexico Chile (Capsicum annuum) that he released in 1913 simply as “New Mexico 9”. This would go on to become known as the “Hatch Chile” as these were grown in the town of Hatch, New Mexico in the Mesilla Valley.
So much excitement was built around the harvest of the Hatch Chile, that the town of Hatch has a whole festival based around it that started in 1971.
As previously mentioned, cheese producers took notice of this food trend and decided to start adding this chile to their products. Here are a few of my favorite examples:
Sierra Nevada’s Sierra Jack Hatch Chile – This California creamy jack cheese is made with authentic New Mexico Hatch Chiles. This cheese is something that you can feel good about eating as it’s made with local Non-GMO Milk that is made from Certified Grass-Fed cows that are American Certified Humane™. The New Mexico Hatch Green Chile Peppers provides a subtly sweet and smoky taste that perfectly balances with the creaminess of the jack. Produced in Willows, California.
This cheese melted beautifully in the Hatch Chile Chicken and fresh roasted Hatch chile quesadillas that my daughter, Haley made up while I was writing this piece!
Beehive Cheese Red Butte Hatch Chile – Produced in Uintah, Utah. The rind on this cheese is almost as stunning as the reddish sandstone canyons of Utah… rubbed with a paste of spices and Red Butte Hatch Chiles gives it a complex flavor that is muy bien!
Since 2005, Tim Welsh and Pat Ford have been creating award winning cheeses starting with Promontory (winner of 32 awards). They use Promontory as their base for their flavored cheeses. This cheese by itself is “sweet and creamy with snappy notes” and lends itself very well to added flavors like their “Barely Buzzed” (coffee and lavender) as well as the
Hatch Chile Cheese. So how does it taste?.....Creamy and smoky with a balance of heat. The coriander in the rub on the rind gives Red Butte a mellow lemony undertone. The Hatch Chiles in the paste provide depth and smokiness. The feel good note of enjoying this cheese....3% of the gross sales of this cheese are donated back to the Red Butte Garden in Utah, further supporting their local efforts.
Henning’s Hatch Pepper Cheddar Cheese – Produced in Kiel, Wisconsin, this creamy and smooth cheddar uses the authentic Hatch Chili Peppers from Hatch, New Mexico, so this limited edition takes pre-bookings in October, for deliveries to your favorite cheese counter in July. It is great in stuffed peppers and on burgers.
In 1914, after completing a six week dairy short course in Madison, Wisconsin, Otto and Norma Henning made a decision to purchase a rural hometown cheese factory. This factory was located in the heart of America’s Dairyland near Kiel, WI and today is run by the three grandchildren (and great grandchildren) of Otto and Norma. You can read more about Henning’s Cheese and their Mammoth Cheddars here.
So there you have it…three great cheeses, from three great states, all made with love and honoring the Hatch Chile.
My many thanks to Sierra Nevada for sending me the samples of their Hatch Chile Jack….Now, please excuse me while I get back to that quesadilla…my taste buds await!
Until next week…
Trevor
