Tornachile: what it is, its history and uses of the güero

What is it?

The tornachile chilli is a criollo variety of güero chilli (greenish-yellow) that played a major role in Mexican cuisine from the 17th to the 19th century. Today it is little known, but its name appears in the most important recipe books of viceregal cuisine and of independent Mexico as a basic ingredient of chiles en escabeche, pickles and stuffed dishes. It is a Capsicum annuum with an oval, thick-walled fruit, a pale yellow or green-yellow colour, with a moderate heat of between 2,500 and 5,000 Scoville units. It is grown mainly in central Mexico (the State of Mexico, Puebla, Tlaxcala) and in some areas of the Bajío. Although its domestic consumption has declined against more commercial chillies such as the güero or the largo, it remains prized among traditional cooks and restaurateurs who champion historic New Spain cuisine.

Origin and history

The name 'tornachile' is typical of Mexican Spanish and is documented from the 17th century. Some linguists suggest that it derives from the Nahuatl 'tonalchilli' (chilli of the sun) or from the verb torcer (to twist), due to the slightly wavy shape of the fruit. Its first important culinary mention is in the recipe book of the convent of San Jerónimo (where Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz lived), and it reappears in the 'Nuevo cocinero mexicano' of 1858, where it figures in recipes for chiles en vinagre, stuffed dishes and stews. Throughout the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, the tornachile was the most used chilli for preparing chiles en escabeche in central Mexico. The agricultural modernisation of the 20th century favoured higher-yielding varieties such as the commercial güero chilli, partially displacing the tornachile, although small producers in Puebla and Tlaxcala still grow it as part of the national agricultural heritage.

Characteristic ingredients

The tornachile chilli measures between 6 and 10 centimetres long and 3 to 4 wide. Its shape is elongated and slightly curved, with smooth, shiny skin and thick flesh that makes it ideal for pickling and stuffing without breaking. The colour ranges from pale yellow to pale green when fresh, and ripens to a yellowish orange when left on the plant. It is a fleshy chilli, with a moderate heat and a slightly sweet flavour recalling the European pepper. It is used mainly in traditional versions of chiles en escabeche with vinegar, herbs and vegetables of the Bajío and Tlaxcala. It also serves to stuff with cheese or picadillo, to accompany seafood in Veracruz or to season broths. Its close botanical relatives are the güero chilli, the caribe chilli and the wax chilli, all of them yellow variants of Capsicum annuum. CONABIO catalogues it as one of the vulnerable criollo varieties of the regional recipe book.

Cultural significance

The tornachile chilli represents an important chapter of viceregal Mexican cuisine and is a living testimony to the New Spain recipe book. It appears in the conventual recipes of the 17th century and in the cookbooks of the 19th, where it is cited alongside the poblano, the pasilla and the ancho as one of the fundamental chillies of central Mexico. Although its consumption has declined, it persists as an identity-bearing ingredient in rural areas of Puebla, Tlaxcala and the State of Mexico, where some peasant families preserve criollo seeds. Culinary-rescue initiatives such as the International Festival of Mexican Gastronomy have revalued the tornachile as a heritage ingredient. CONABIO and SINAREFI include it in their inventories of plant-genetic resources priority for conservation. Its use in traditional-cuisine restaurants such as El Mural de los Poblanos or Azul Histórico helps to spread it among new generations of diners and cooks.

Frequently asked questions