Find Electricity Rates

? If you were referred by another Amigo Energy customer, enter their personal referral code to receive your credit. Terms and conditions apply.
Chili Verde and Tomatillos in a Salsa Bowl

Tomatillos and the History of Chili Verde

by | Culture, Featured, Food

The exciting world of sauces and condiments is as rich as the food they adorn and embellish. Mexico’s national cookbook overflows with tasty treats, making it tricky sometimes to track precisely which salsa has tickled your tastebuds.   

So what’s a food lover to do? Get your chopping board, ingredients, and cutting knife ready. Let’s focus on the history of chili verde to help you discern it from your salsa verdes and green enchilada sauces. 

The History of Chili Verde: Where Does It Come From? 

Chili Verdes on a Cutting Board Imagesource

Ingredients will play a vital role in understanding chili verde and its various cousins. More precisely, the tomatillo, green chili, and tomato are our principal players.   

These plants were domesticated by the Aztecs many thousands of years ago. They formed part of that great civilization’s diet before Mexico existed as a country.   

Nowadays, the tomato is a much-loved ingredient worldwide. The tomato is known as a vegetable and is part of the nightshade family of flowering plants known as solanaceae. Relatives within this classification include the potato, tobacco, and eggplant.   

? If you were referred by another Amigo Energy customer, enter their personal referral code to receive your credit. Terms and conditions apply.

Of utmost importance to chili verde is a close relative of the tomato known as the tomatillo. The green tomatillo grows bright within a thin, papery husk that protects it. Tomatillos often have a sticky residue on their skin. 

Chili Verde vs. Salsa Verde: How to Distinguish Them 

Now comes the slightly confusing part, thanks to a doubling of Spanish and English names for things.   

In Spanish, chili verde means “green chili” and refers to the fruit people often use to give heat to dishes they are cooking. So, on the one hand, chili verde is an ingredient.   

On the other hand, green chili is a complete dish with which many people are familiar. If you were to order a chili verde across the U.S., you would receive a spicy stew, often made with slow-cooked pork shoulder or chicken with onions and jalapeños. There are vegetarian and vegan versions too.   

Chefs may add extra tomatillos, potatoes, lime juice, and other ingredients. Some places serve this chili verde meal with tortillas or wrapped in burritos or enchiladas.   

Now comes some crossover. Salsa verde (green sauce) forms the base of the chili verde dish. Salsa verde is typically made from:   

  • Tomatillos 
  • Onions 
  • Jalapeños 
  • Green chilis 
  • Lime 
  • Cilantro (coriander) 
  • Garlic (optional)  

The tomatillos define salsa verde because they are the keystone and main ingredient for salsa verde and from where the sauce attains its heat and acidic, herbaceous flavor.   

Chefs often bring subtle changes to salsa verde’s flavors by roasting or boiling the tomatillos before making the salsa or adding more chilis for more significant heat. Some people will cook all their ingredients before making their salsa verde; some roast them all on a comal (a griddle-like pan) before grinding them together, while others will paste everything raw. Some people use blenders or molcajetes (similar to a mortar and pestle) to combine their salsa verde. 

Enchilada Sauce or Salsa Verde? 

Enchilada Sauce Covering Enchiladassource

Green enchilada sauce resembles salsa verde to the eye. Still, it gets heat from its principal ingredient, roasted green chilis. Green enchilada sauce seems similar to salsa verde because it contains onions, jalapeños, and some—but not mainly—tomatillos. The enchilada version may also come with garlic and seasoning and it’s often a bit more watery than chili verde. 

Is Chili Verde a Sauce or a Soup? 

Chili verde is a whole dish with ingredients like slow-cooked pork shoulder, tomatillos, and sometimes potatoes. Most people would consider it a stew, more than a soup. Its flavors come from a sauce called salsa verde. 

What Is the Main Ingredient of Chili Verde? 

Cup of Fresh Chili Verdesource

The most critical ingredient in chili verde is its salsa verde, which brings taste, heat, and color to the dish. Within that sauce, the tomatillo is the main ingredient in chili verde. 

Is Green Chili the Same as Chili Verde? 

This is a bit of a trick question. In Spanish, chili verde means green chili, as in the fruit. Chili verde is also a sumptuous stew, albeit with green chilis within the recipe. So, while these two examples are not the same, the translation means chili verde means both a green chili and a big bowl of stew. 

Hey amigo! Check out our unbelievable electricity plans. Call 1-866-209-8078 to find out more.

What’s the Best Way to Serve Chili Verde? 

Many people like to serve chili verde with a cilantro garnish and sides of tortillas, rice, or pinto beans. Others will add sour cream. Some spread the chili verde over or in burritos and enchiladas. Many folks will tuck into a big bowl of chili verde without any sides at all. 

Who Brought Green Chilis to the United States? 

Green chilis grew in what is now Mexico during Aztec times. It is thought the Spanish captain and colonizer General Juan de Onate brought the plant to the future United States when founding Santa Fe in New Mexico in 1609.   

These chilis adapted to their new environments, spawning new varieties with varying heat levels. The original green chili is often known as the Anaheim pepper in the United States. Such was the success of the New Mexico variety that today, more than 40,000 acres have been developed for cultivating the chili. The sites run across New Mexico, California, Arizona, and Texas. 

Who Invented Green Chili? 

Green chili is thought to originate from Mexico. Its base sauce—salsa verde—dates to Aztec times. The regions of Mexico have different versions, depending on which ingredients are to hand.   

However, green chili, chili verde in Spanish, goes under different names in Mexico, including chili verde con cerdo (green chili with pork), cerdo en salsa verde (pork in salsa verde), and puerco con chili verde (pork with green chili). 

The History of Chili Verde: States Do Battle 

Green Chilis in a Basket in Outside Gardensource

We have the Aztecs and Mexicans to thank for green chilis, salsa verde, and the delicious chili verde stew. However, that has yet to stop two states from trying to become the top chili verde region in the United States.   

Step forward New Mexico and Colorado, the protagonists in the chili verde war. 

The Great Chili Verde Debate: Colorado vs. New Mexico 

As seemingly always in the chili verde world, green chilis take center stage when it comes to the difference between Colorado and New Mexico chili verde.   

New Mexico is home to the Hatch chili, a long and slender chili grown in the Hatch Valley. Supporters proclaim the Hatch to be tastier and hotter than neighbor Colorado’s Pueblo chili. Colorado refutes that and claims the spicier ground for its Pueblo, holding cook-offs in August and September. Not to be outdone, New Mexico celebrated its 50th Hatch Chili Festival in 2022.   

Scientists claim that growing conditions mark subtle differences between the Hatch and Pueblo chilis. Pueblo chilis have slightly thicker skins, most likely from their growth at a higher altitude and possibly more heat than New Mexico’s Hatch chili.   

But no one can say for sure, and the debate can keep adding spice to foodies’ chats in the decades to come.   

Of course, like most food and drink competitions, the winner is in the palette of the taster. The United States can be proud to have two such marvelous chilis to spice its sauces. In the interim, everyone can enjoy the ever-more fantastic food coming out from these neighboring states seeking to win the green chili crown. 

Why Is Green Chili So Popular in New Mexico? 

Green Chilis in Pork Green Chili Soupsource

New Mexico was the entry point for green chilis into the United States, where the plant thrived. Green chili can be used as a base for sauces. Many are mild enough to eat individually, making them a portion of food as well as a seasoning.   

Their sweet taste, married with spice, makes them desirable to diners. New Mexico University scientists also helped develop drought-resistant green chilis with less heat. Their breakthroughs increased production and people’s ability to eat more in one sitting.   

The plant remained seasonal until refrigeration and canning allowed for more extended storage. The combination of abundance and preservation allowed the green chili to take a permanent place in New Mexico cuisine. So much so that the green chili stew is a staple, with meat, vegetarian, and vegan variations. 

Why Is Green Chili So Popular in Colorado? 

Coloradans are proud of their heritage — and their food. Chili verde, or green chili, is widespread across the state, particularly in the south, close to its New Mexico border. Indeed, a recent competition run by CPR News saw green chili voted as the state’s favorite food.   

The state has a well-established connection with Mexican culture and its people, as well as its fantastic Pueblo peppers, a vital ingredient in green chili. In 2021, almost a quarter (22.3%) of Colorado’s 5.8 million population identified as Hispanic or Latino. 

We have electricity plans made for friends like you. Call 1-866-209-8078

Chili Colorado vs. Chili Verde: The Differences 

Chili Colorado and chili verde are spicy, Mexico-inspired stews packed with flavor.   

But just one glance will highlight their significant differences. Chili Colorado is a deep red color, owing to its base sauce using red tomatoes and chilis, and many people make it with beef.   

? If you were referred by another Amigo Energy customer, enter their personal referral code to receive your credit. Terms and conditions apply.

Chili verde has lots of green tinges thanks to its green tomatillo-based salsa verde base and the addition of more tomatillos in some recipes. The meat of choice in chili verde is often pork or chicken. 

Spicy Times: The History of Chili Verde   

The history of chili verde is long and fascinating. The green chili plant started with cultivation by early Aztec civilizations to Spanish colonists exporting green chilis to North America. Once established in New Mexico, the chili would soon become a staple for sauces and dishes across the country.   

We’ll never know which Aztec or Mexican was the first to cook and taste chili verde stew, made from salsa verde. But what is for sure is that this spicy stew is a classic in kitchens and restaurants across the North American nation—and for good reason.   

Green tomatillos and green chilis are the backbones of these stews, bringing herby, acidic, and fresh notes to the palette. A hearty chili verde stew is perfect for those chilly winter evenings.   

Without a doubt, chili verde is part of Mexico’s club of elite sauces and salsas. And if all that food talk has made you hungry, discover the best Mexican food joints in Texas to satiate your appetite. ¡Buen provecho! 

Brought to you by amigoenergy

All images licensed from Adobe Stock.
Featured image: