Dining - A Taste Of The Border

Tantalizing and satisfying one’s taste buds in this corner of the desert is far from problematic. Although each of the cities in the borderland is typically branded by cuisine type — El Paso, Tex-Mex with steaks and barbecue; Las Cruces/Southern New Mexico, New-Mex with chile rellenos and enchiladas; and Juárez, Norteño with Mexican and seafood — the region boasts a generous dose of other choices.

In recent years, this area has begun to enjoy cuisines from all over the world. Granted you’re more likely to bump into a Mexican eatery than a French or Middle Eastern one, but the good news for anyone "Mexed out," is that international cuisine is becoming far more diverse in the area.

Still, border cuisine, defined as a fusion of Southwestern and Northern Mexican cooking, continues to reign. Annually, thousands visit to sample this specialty cuisine underscored with chile — or is it spelled "chili?" — pepper.

Si, the battle continues on the correct spelling. Etymologically, the word "chile" is the Spanish adaptation of "chili" the Aztec name for the pod itself in Central America, including Mexico. In Southwestern states, chile in its purest form is spelled with an "e" whether the pod is ground, powdered or chopped.

Chili with an "i", on the other hand, refers to Texas’ famed soup — chili con carne (chili with meat). Although chili contains chile, it’s a component of the seasoning — chili powder — a mixture of dried chiles, garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander and cloves.

The "i" or "e" question raised such a fuss in New Mexico that in 1988 the state legislature passed a light-hearted memorial that threatened to deport to Texas any New Mexican caught spelling chile with an "i."

But the pod’s correct spelling isn’t the only thing confusing about this vegetable — or is it a fruit? Horticulturists classify chile pepper as a “fruit" while botanists refer to it as a "berry." To compound the issue, chile fruits are considered a vegetable when green, and as a spice when red and mature.

But the chile questions don’t end there. If a server asks a patron New Mexico's official state question, "red or green?" she is referring to chile sauce. Chile aficionados will answer with yet another question: "Which is hotter?" Many neophytes believe green delivers more bite than red, but color isn't necessarily a sign of a pepper’s level of nip. Depending on the type of pepper, red may be the “hot one." There are no guarantees that a batch of "identical" green Sandia chiles, for example, will deliver uniform bite pod for pod. So be forewarned that on any given day, you may see red while eating green. And then again, you may feel green following an overdose of red!