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    As the days begin to shorten, all around New Mexico bags of chilli are being picked and prepped for roasting. Albuquerque is transformed by the hatch roast. Roasters are brought out onto the streets and slowly turned as the rich fiery smell escapes into air and hangs in the atmosphere as a reminder that fall is fast approaching. Chilli is not only a staple of a New Mexican diet but part of our cultural identity. So much so that our official state question, "Red or Green?" asks which chilli you prefer.

    Green Chilli has a spicy sharp taste whereas Red has a much more smokey taste, which is better for darker meats like beef and pork. Regardless of mood or really even the type of food I eat, chilli is always the perfect compliment. I associate it with some of my happiest memories of home. So while I recognize that the seasons are changing, it is getting colder and darker, without the smell of chilli in the air it just doesn't feel like fall.