Celebrating the world famous Hatch chile

Celebrations were recently held at grocery/produce stores and specialty shops across the southwest of the U.S. in honor of a chile – the world famous Hatch chile.

The spicy food store Chile Hedz, located in Old Town Temecula, was among the celebrants as it hosted a Hatch Chile Festival Sept. 17-18.

These special chiles are grown in the valley around a town called (surprise!) Hatch, a small village in southeastern New Mexico located between Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences. Hatch bills itself as the "Chile Capital of the World" and every Labor Day weekend more than 30,000 visitors from all...