Yahualica chili: what is it, what is its new norm and who are its 11 municipalities?
Yahualica chili is one of the main agricultural crops of the Altos of the State of Jalisco, whose production makes it a traditional product with which the region is identified throughout the world.
The recognition of the Denomination of Origin «Yahualica» is based on its reputation as a different product whose characteristics have positioned it among the consuming public.
Therefore, its Official Mexican Standard will establish the specifications of origin, quality and characteristics that will distinguish the Yahualica pepper.
Likewise, the norm seeks the positioning of the product, to increase the economic activity of the producers of the region of origin and to avoid imitations, falsifications or adulterations of the same, offering greater benefits for the communities where said product is grown.
Main features
Generally, its fruit is marketed in a fresh state, for direct consumption, but mainly dry and is used as a raw material to be processed for industrial use.
Thus, Yahualica chili is a fruit obtained by cultivating the species Capsicum annuum L., with a regional and national identity with unique characteristics, attributed to the geographical environment and the production process characteristic of the region, which makes it a traditional product. and identity reason with which your Production Area is identified.
The national and international market distinguishes the Yahualica chili fruit, among others from different producing areas, for its characteristics of flavor, aroma, pungency and color attributed these, to special natural and human factors of the region, such as: the climate, soil and geographic location.
Yahualica chili
The importance of this fruit for the region of origin has been such that said fruit and its cultivation are part of the culture of this region, and it has become a symbol of cultural identity for all that its cultivation implies, to the degree that in the region of origin there are currently various festivals associated with this product, in which it is promoted for sale and consumption, seeking to further expand its market, through popular events such as fairs and festivals.
The cultivation of Yahualica chili has developed as a whole culture, derived from the artisanal process through which it is obtained, which differentiates it from other chilies produced in other regions and States of the country.
This process has generated the creation of jobs and the marketing of its fresh fruit for direct consumption, and dry as a particular ingredient in typical dishes of national gastronomy, as well as raw material for industrial use, and for the production of finished products, has fostered the increase in the production of countless articles and products made from this fruit.
Publications
Therefore, the Official Mexican Standard constitutes an important input to complement the regulatory scheme applicable to the General Declaration of Protection of the Denomination of Origin «Yahualica», published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on March 16, 2018.
It includes the geographical region currently made up of 11 municipalities, new of them located in the Altos region of the State of Jalisco and corresponding to Yahualica de González Gallo, Mexticacán, Teocaltiche, Cañadas de Obregón, Jalostotitlán, Encarnación de Díaz, Villa Hidalgo, Cuquío and Ixtlahuacán del Río, and two municipalities in the State of Zacatecas, Nochistlán de Mejia and Apulco, which will hereafter be referred to as «Chile Yahualica Production Zone».
The cultivation of the Yahualica pepper through which the fruit is obtained that is marketed in a fresh and dry state, has the following stages: seedling production, preparation of ground for transplantation, determination of population density, transplanting, irrigation, fertilization , cultivation tasks during irrigation, weed control and control, phytosanitary management, harvesting, seed selection for the next cycle, dehydration or drying of the fruit, classification and packaging.
