NMDA calls for participation in New Mexico green chile contest

By NMDA

New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) and its NEW MEXICO—Taste the Tradition® program took to social media August 11 to announce a contest to promote the state’s 2020 chile pepper harvest.

The Elevate NM Green Chile contest is open to New Mexico residents as well as New Mexico green chile enthusiasts across the nation.  The purpose of the contest is to promote creativity in cooking with the flavorful and heat-packed New Mexico green chile pepper.

Entry categories are geared toward at-home cooks and professional chefs.  NMDA is calling for recipes inspired by traditional New Mexican dishes and State Fair and food truck cuisine and desserts.

The contest is part of NMDA’s Elevate NM Green Chile social media campaign, which illustrates little-known facts about the famous agricultural commodity in addition to traditions that have surrounded the chile pepper harvest season for more than one hundred years.

NMDA seeks to educate the public about the versatility, attributes, and agricultural history of the chile pepper, as well as techniques for roasting and freezing, to encourage sales of the product in-state and out-of-state.

Individuals interested in participating in the contest should submit entries by September 1 at 5 p.m. MT.  A panel of judges is set to announce the winners September 9.

For details and to fill out the entry form, visit https://bit.ly/ICookNMchile.

For more information about New Mexico chile peppers, including history, statistics, and nutrition, visit https://cpi.nmsu.edu.