Assertions by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis that Pueblo’s green chiles are better than those of Hatch, New Mexico, have one more piece of evidence in their favor.
In a contest on Aug. 31, Durango’s Carver Brewing Co. found that diners preferred Pueblo chiles to Hatch chiles by a 3-1 margin.
Chef David Cuntz prepared the two chiles in an identical fashion by preparing vegetarian chilis that were identical except for the chile they contained. The chiles were then served side by side to diners who participated in the taste-test.
It was ultimately a blind study, as nothing was used to denote to diners which cup contained which state’s chiles, Cuntz said. Participants voted by indicating with a red- or white-colored ticket which chile they preferred.
Out of a total of 76 votes, the Pueblo chiles received 76% (58 votes) compared to Hatch’s 24% (18 votes), said Carver Brewing owner Mike Hurst.
The restaurant ran out of Pueblo chiles on the first day of the test.
ngonzales@durangoherald.com
