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Circular wreath ristras made with piquin chiles ready for sale.
Photo: Brax - VPC
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The Chile Ristra Make Great Autumn and Holiday Adornment.
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Ristras adorn a wrought iron porch.
Photo: Brax/VPC |
T
he chile ristra is a most traditional form of culinary art and science... allowing the now fire red chile pods to dry and to cure; becoming aged and cured as the chile turns a deep burgandy. It is this metamorphosis that makes the ristra one of the truly authentic and environmentally secure decorations for the home.
The romance of a ristra is the touch of nature and southwestern style that emanate from its ever changing beauty. Certainly, the chile, bright green in summer, began to draw attention when, as autumn drew near, it began turning a deep crimson red. It didn't take a interior decorator to figure out that these chiles had to have a place in the home... whether mud hut, adobe or cave.
Whether in the kitchen or on the porch the chiles dry slowly turning shades of burgandy from bright to deep almost purpleblack. This process insures that the chile transforms and is, in essence, preserved without any extra effort on the part of the cook. And hanging in the kitchen near the food preparation area, the ristra is within reach for picking. Add to its charm and autumnal color the fact that the dried chile could be used in cooking or for flavoring right at dinner; and you know the "Ah Hahhh" moment was not far off.
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Deep dark rich colors appear slowly as the chiles cure.
Photo: File/VPC |
Then came another great moment when it was learned that just leaving the drying chiles in a bunch or in a bin caused an unsightly mess of rotting chile. So the string or chiles... our beloved ristra... was born. Gravity played a role and the hung string of chiles made it easy to keep around because it didn't take up any space.
The ristra is such an ingenious design such that it lends itself to perfect curing and utilization in the kitchen. By allowing the chiles to being picked off of the ristra as they ripen from the bottom, the ristra facilitates cooking and also flavoring of other dishes such as salads.
The "creation" of the ristra, because of its multi-purpose characteristics and natural organic structure seems as if it is nature's own design. Because it is so utilitarian it seems that it could "not" have been discovered. The genius of using the ristra for decoration is a tribute to our Native American heritage and Southwestern style and flair.
To continue to next page - Click for Page 2 .
Prepared by UVL staff.
Photos: Brax - Valley Publishing Company
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