Chile nanche: the wild chilli of the Mexican tropics

What is it?

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 receives its name because its tiny fruits resemble those of the nanche, a yellow tropical fruit from 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 practice deeply rooted on the southern Mexican coasts.

Origin and history

Chile nanche has a documented pre-Hispanic origin. CONABIO and SINAREFI include it among the wild Capsicum direct ancestors of cultivated chillies, with 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 harvested and consumed it without interruption since pre-Columbian times. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, in the 16th-century Florentine Codex, described several small wild chillies that match its morphology. During the colonial period it remained as an ingredient of indigenous and peasant cooking, without reaching the massive commerce of cultivated chillies such as 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, Costa Chica and Purépecha plateau. Today it is considered a priority plant genetic resource for the in-situ conservation of Mexican Capsicum.

Characteristic ingredients

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, although it is also eaten green. Its wall is thin and the concentration of capsaicin is very high, which explains its extreme heat. It is harvested between July and December in rocky soils, dry bush and in the shade of tropical trees. It is used fresh, ground in a molcajete with green or red tomato for peasant 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 customary to sprinkle over tropical fruits, while in the Oaxacan Mixteca it is used to season chicken broths, mole de olla and peasant stews. Its flavour is earthy, intense and with fruity notes.

Cultural significance

Chile nanche represents a living link between pre-Hispanic cuisine and 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 cultivate and harvest it maintain valuable traditional knowledge about its management, medicinal uses and organoleptic properties. Its seasonal harvest stimulates 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 —, chile nanche embodies Mesoamerican biocultural richness and the ancestral indigenous wisdom that still feeds millions of Mexican tables today.

Frequently asked questions

Is chile nanche the same as chiltepín?

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 cultivated and harvested in the southern tropics (Guerrero, Oaxaca, Michoacán) and is usually 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 from the Mexican Pacific. People in the south called the chilli this because its tiny, rounded fruits visually resemble miniature nanches. It is an affectionate way of naming the wild chilli, linked to the tropical landscape where it grows.

How spicy is chile nanche?

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

How is chile nanche used in cooking?

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