On his travels to Oaxaca Mexico, Gran Luchito founder Fergus discovered the amazing Chintextle. A smoked chilli cooking paste that has been used for generations by the indigenous people of southern Mexico. It was its unique smoky depth of flavour and versatile use that gave Fergus the inspiration to create Gran Luchito.
Traditionally Chintextle was made by the Mixes people by milling the wonderfully rich Pasilla Oaxaca Chilli in a metate (a rectangular volcanic rock used as a grinder) with aromatic herbs, seeds, dried shrimp and garlic into a smooth paste. This paste was originally created to extract and preserve the deep flavours of the smoked chilli which can be naturally volatile.
In the Mixes hills which surround Oaxaca, each village has their own special variant of this magical paste. Our favourite contains roasted pumpkin seeds and dried shrimp. The Chintextle paste is highly concentrated and a little goes a long way. Legend has it the Mixes people would always carry it with them as a flavour enhancer for food or spread on a tortilla as a snack.
Today many of the fashionable Mexican Food restaurants in Oaxaca have adopted the paste and use it to bring a depth of flavour to their food.
