Chile nanche: what it is, heat and where it's used

What is it?

The chile nanche is a wild variety of small chilli that grows in the tropical and subtropical regions of southern Mexico, mainly in Guerrero, Oaxaca and Michoacán. It owes its name to the fact that its tiny fruit recall those of the nanche, a yellow tropical fruit of the tree Byrsonima crassifolia common on the Costa Chica. It belongs to the same botanical subspecies as the chiltepín and the piquín (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum), and is considered one of the most primitive and wild forms of the Mexican chilli. Its heat is very high, between 30,000 and 60,000 Scoville units, comparable to the chiltepín. It is used fresh or dried for regional molcajete salsas, homemade pickles with vinegar and as an ingredient of the spicy powder sprinkled over tropical fruits such as mango, watermelon or cucumber, a deeply rooted practice on the coasts of southern Mexico.

Origin and history

The chile nanche has a documented pre-Hispanic origin. CONABIO and SINAREFI include it among the wild Capsicum that are direct ancestors of cultivated chillies, with a continuous presence in the tropical sierra of the Mexican Pacific for thousands of years. The Nahua, Mixtec, Amuzgo and Purépecha peoples of the region have gathered and consumed it without interruption since pre-Columbian times. Friar Bernardino de Sahagún, in the 16th-century Florentine Codex, described several small wild chillies that match its morphology. During the colonial period it remained an ingredient of indigenous and country cooking, without reaching the mass trade of cultivated chillies such as the ancho, mulato or guajillo. In the 20th century, ethnobotanists such as Esteban Pizzigoni and Edelmira Linares documented its continuous use in rural markets of the Mixtec sierra, the Costa Chica and the Purépecha plateau. Today it is considered a priority plant genetic resource for the in situ conservation of Mexican Capsicum.

Characteristic ingredients

The chile nanche measures between 4 and 8 millimetres, is rounded or oval and grows hanging on perennial shrubs that can live up to 20 years. When ripe it takes on an intense red colour, though it is also eaten green. Its wall is thin and the concentration of capsaicin is very high, which explains its extreme heat. It is gathered between July and December on rocky soils, dry hillsides and in the shade of tropical trees. It is used fresh, crushed in a molcajete with green or red tomato for country salsas; dried and ground with salt to create spicy powders sold in local markets; and pickled in vinegar with oregano and garlic as a pantry preserve. On the Costa Chica of Guerrero it is customarily sprinkled over tropical fruit, while in the Oaxacan Mixteca it is used to season chicken broths, mole de olla and country stews. Its flavour is earthy, intense and with fruity notes.

Cultural significance

The chile nanche represents a living link between pre-Hispanic cooking and the contemporary cuisine of southern Mexico. It forms part of the milpa system, recognised by the FAO as a sustainable agroecological model. The Nahua, Mixtec, Amuzgo, Afro-Mexican and Purépecha communities that grow and gather it maintain valuable traditional knowledge of its management, medicinal uses and organoleptic properties. Its seasonal harvest invigorates small rural economies in municipalities such as Tlacoachistlahuaca, San Luis Acatlán and Pinotepa Nacional in Guerrero, and Juchitán and Pochutla in Oaxaca. CONABIO includes it in its conservation programmes for wild Capsicum, and SADER recognises the genetic and cultural value of these chillies. As part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine —UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity 2010— the chile nanche embodies Mesoamerican biocultural richness and the ancestral indigenous wisdom that still feeds millions of Mexican tables today.

Frequently asked questions

Are the chile nanche and the chiltepín the same?

Botanically yes, both belong to Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum, the wild subspecies. The difference is regional and morphological: the chiltepín is typical of the north-west and north (Sonora, Tamaulipas), while the nanche is grown and gathered in the tropical south (Guerrero, Oaxaca, Michoacán) and tends to be a little smaller and more oval than the northern chiltepín.

Why is it called chile nanche?

Its name comes from the nanche or nance (Byrsonima crassifolia), a small yellow tropical fruit of the Mexican Pacific. People in the south named the chilli this way because its tiny, rounded fruit visually resemble miniature nanches. It is an affectionate way of naming the wild chilli, tied to the tropical landscape where it grows.

How hot is the chile nanche?

Its pungency is very high, between 30,000 and 60,000 Scoville units, similar to the chiltepín and the chile piquín. Being five to ten times hotter than the jalapeño, a pinch is enough to season a family salsa or a fruit powder. Its earthy, fruity flavour sets it apart from other wild chillies of the country.

How is the chile nanche used in cooking?

It is used fresh, crushed in a molcajete with tomato for regional salsas; dried and ground into spicy powders for tropical fruit (mango, watermelon, cucumber); and pickled in vinegar with oregano and garlic. It is also added to chicken broths, mole de olla and country stews of the Guerrero sierra, the Oaxacan Mixteca and the Purépecha plateau of Michoacán.