What to Know
- Hatch, New Mexico is synonymous with delicious and piquant chile peppers
- Several Southern California grocery stores set up Hatch chile roasting events on select August and September dates
- El Rey Farms of Whittier is a popular local purveyor of Hatch chile; the order line opens July 15 each year
The calendar brims with big occasions, for sure, but there are also those offbeat observances that plenty of people seem to know.
Maybe it is the day your beloved team's upcoming season is announced or the first time your favorite store puts Halloween decorations on the shelves; you're always fully up on what's happening.
And for Southern California heat seekers, the pepper-obsessed people who dream of journeying to Hatch, New Mexico to experience the hallowed place where their favorite foodstuff grows, July 15 is peppered with meaning.
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That's when El Rey Farms traditionally opens its Hatch chile orders, giving people around LA and beyond the chance to purchase a satchel of the spicy stuff after the spicy stuff has passed, with crackling efficiency, through a large roaster.
The Whittier-based farm has trucked in the good stuff from Hatch for decades and fans of the fiery pod place their orders well before the roasters are rolled out.
That usually happens in August and September, and you'll want to consider whether you'll go mild this year, or perhaps medium or hot. There are higher levels of heat, too, if you are feeling up to testing the outer reaches of the Scoville Heat Scale, which considers a pepper's heat units.
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Pick-up dates and times are listed on the site as well as prices, as well as different types of chile, including roasted or not roasted; the first 2024 pick-up opportunity is Aug. 10.
Other chile-famous companies are beginning to share their local roasting dates and locations; Melissa's Produce will roll out the roasters at quite a few Southern California grocery stores in August and September.
Gelson's in Westlake Village will feel the chil(e) on Aug. 17 while Pavilions in Seal Beach will welcome Hatch enthusiasts on the final day of August 2024.
If you're lucky enough to be there when the roasters are turning, you know you'll smell a smell that, if it could be bottled, would be called "Earthy Smoky Summertime Pepper Joy."
There are more regional stores listed here; check them all out, then start making room in your freezer.
After all, chile is delicious in August and September, but plenty of fans stock up in the late summer for wintertime stews, rellenos, and snacks.
And by "snacks" we do mean a hefty slab of chile draped atop a block of cream cheese with quality crackers nearby; everyone has their favorite way to approach the perfect pods, but we do love how the cream cheese softens a pepper's Scoville-testing kick.
