Ortega or Anaheim? The Story of the Ortega Chile
Today, the vintage photos of the day are of Emilio and Maria Concepcion Jacinta Dominguez Ortega, or as she was usually known Mama Ortega. Who knew the good fortune that would ensue when Emilio brought back a few seeds from New Mexico #9 chile to Anaheim shortly after their development in 1894.
Emilio moved back to the old family homestead in Ventura to put his chiles into high production. As is often said, behind every good man is a good woman. This was lived out in the lives of Emilio and Mama Ortega. In addition to raising 13 children in a small three room adobe built by Emilio's father in 1857, she started a business hand roasting and canning her husband's eponymous chiles. In 1897, they started the Ortega Chile Company. The family owned the business until 1946, when it was bought out by a large food production company.
The house they lived in still stands in Ventura and is a historic landmark at 215 West Main St., Ventura , CA. It is likely that Ortega is a more widely known moniker for the chile Emilio brought back from New Mexico than its initial jump off point of Anaheim. Who knows? We might need to take a poll.
Emilio moved back to the old family homestead in Ventura to put his chiles into high production. As is often said, behind every good man is a good woman. This was lived out in the lives of Emilio and Mama Ortega. In addition to raising 13 children in a small three room adobe built by Emilio's father in 1857, she started a business hand roasting and canning her husband's eponymous chiles. In 1897, they started the Ortega Chile Company. The family owned the business until 1946, when it was bought out by a large food production company.
The house they lived in still stands in Ventura and is a historic landmark at 215 West Main St., Ventura , CA. It is likely that Ortega is a more widely known moniker for the chile Emilio brought back from New Mexico than its initial jump off point of Anaheim. Who knows? We might need to take a poll.
Comments
Post a Comment