New Mexico’s Spicy Plan to Attract Tourists with Official Aroma
New Mexico is known for many things: its rich history, its diverse culture, its stunning landscapes and, of course, its chile peppers. The spicy fruits are a staple of the state’s cuisine and a source of pride for its residents. But soon, they could also be a way to lure more visitors to the Land of Enchantment.
A bill proposed by Democratic state senator William Soules would make the scent of roasting green chiles in the fall the official state aroma of New Mexico. The bill aims to celebrate the state’s cultural heritage and boost tourism, as New Mexico is known as the “Chile Capital of the World” and produces more than 60% of the US chile pepper crop.
“It’s very unique to our state. I have tried to think of any other state that has a smell or aroma that is that distinctive statewide, and I can’t think of any,” Soules said.
New Mexico already has a number of state symbols related to chile, such as the official state question “Red or green?” and the official state vegetable (chile and frijoles). The state also hosts several festivals and events dedicated to celebrating the fiery fruit, such as the Hatch Chile Festival, the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta and the New Mexico Chile Conference.
“Chile is in the hearts and on the plates of all New Mexicans, and the smell of fresh roasting green chile allows us to reminisce on a memory eating or enjoying our beloved signature crop. We like to call that memory a person’s ‘chile story’, and each of us as New Mexicans have a chile story,” said Travis Day, executive director of the New Mexico Chile Association.
The bill’s supporters hope that by making the aroma official, they can attract more tourists who are curious about the state’s signature smell and taste. A fiscal impact report on the bill noted that it “may have a positive, though difficult to calculate, impact on tourism to the state.”
“The new state aroma could help draw visitors away from Colorado, which, for some reason, thinks it has green chile comparable to that of New Mexico,” the report said.
However, not everyone is happy with the bill’s specificity. The bill would only recognize green chiles roasted in the fall, leaving out red chiles and chiles roasted in the summer. This could increase contention in the “Red or green?” debate, which refers to the preference for red or green chile sauces.
“In addition to potentially increasing New Mexico-related-trivia, the legislation could increase contention in the great ‘Red or Green?’ debate, swaying the answer towards green. Further comment on the definitive answer to the ‘Red or Green?’ question is (unfortunately) beyond the scope of this analysis,” the report said.
For some New Mexicans, however, there is no debate. They love both red and green chiles equally and enjoy them year-round.
Relevant articles:
- New Mexico may become the first state to have an official aroma, CNN, February 19, 2023
- Can you smell that smell? It’s green chile roasting, KOAT, July 31, 2023
- Scent-a Fe: New Mexico could be first state with official aroma, The Guardian, February 2, 2023
- Governor Lujan Grisham signs ‘official aroma’ bill, Deming Headlight, March 30, 2023
Originally published at https://trendydigests.com on August 2, 2023.
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