When Joe and I were in Mexico City last spring, I had this revelation: A taco is only as good as its salsa. While here, taquerias tend to steer towards the expected salsa fresca (usually made with pink tomatoes) and maybe a generic avocado-tomatillo variation, in Mexico, there are endless salsas, all starring different chilies, both dried and fresh.
So, last Saturday, when we were at Flora Grubb on that 90-something degree day when Ron used his bandana headband to good effect, we were given by one of Flora Grubb’s very kind staff members, a chili plant to take home with us.
It’s called a Rocoto pepper. It’s grown by Annie’s Annuals, a company that sells rare and unique perennials and always has one of those “handwritten” signs that tell a little tale about each plant. (I’m a sucker this: Compose a handwritten recommendation and put it in front of a bottle of wine, a book or a DVD, and I’ll buy it.)
This is what Annie says about the Rocoto pepper:
It has been grown in Peru and Bolivia for 5,000 years [that’s a lot] and last year I was fortunate to receive peppers from Joe Carrasco, all grown from seed he brought back to California from Bolivia. The large (and very beautiful) fruit has thick flesh like a bell pepper, though variable in heat, it is a HOT pepper with great flavor.
I was also told by the folks at Flora Grubb that this pepper does well in our fickle San Francisco climate and even produces chilies into the winter. It might not be Mexican but it’s supposed to be delicious.
So, in the spirit of Manresa and other Michelin-starred restaurants that have their own gardens, Tacolicious is now officially growing our own chilies, starting with the Rocoto pepper. Kelly Walsh, our brand manager and the latest member of our team, will be growing this chili pepper on the rooftop of Laïola. I figure the salsa we make from it will offer a taste of Marina terroir (imagine hints of Lululemon stretch pants and the ambrosia of guys in buttondowns and flip-flops). It’s going to be XXX muy caliente! It’s going to make our current “Ron-Thinks-He’s-So-Hot” sauce seem so pedestrian. Wait for it.