I came across a conversation with Mark Miller, the author of the The Great Chile Book, where he says that even if you grow poblanos yourself, you will not get the same taste of poblano chilis from the central valley of Mexico. He says that Mexican chilies have a superior taste due to the altitude at which they are grown where they get a higher UV exposure and due to alkaline (high pH) volcanic soil.
There are also a lot of sources which say that chilies grow best in slightly acidic soil between 6 and 7 pH.
Has anyone experienced a noticeable difference in the chili flavor when those chilies were grown in different soils?
by sudo_swing
5 Comments
I always thought Acidic soil isn’t 6 or a 7. My presumption was those numbers are more baseline/ alkaline.
I think elevation and UV have a lot of influence on many crops. Humidity coincides with that. Wind matters and above all else, quality soil. Some places on earth are just perfect sweet spots for Mother Nature
Personally no but experience is limited. Grew habanero last year in quite acidic carolina clay (with some lime and potting soil) and these tasted identical to other ones. Store bought ones here probably come from Florida and while prettier than mine, taste the same
There’s a word for what he is describing: terroir ([wiki link](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terroir)). It happens for all crops.
I have two fields with about the same pH and other components but one is sandy and one is clay. I haven’t noticed any differences in flavor but some varieties grow better in one soil than the other.
It also got me wondering if the better flavor is due to the stress that plants experience from a higher UV levels and the fact that higher soil pH reduces nutrients uptake. It’s a know fact that at least heat stress and frequent droughts can result in higher levels of capsaicin and sugars.
Do a test at home. Put them in different types of soil and different lighting. However I can answer this for you. It’s BS. Soil and sunlight affect the plants growth, not the flavor. Flavor comes from genetics.