Chile Pepper Fun Fact - Bright and Beautiful Chile Ristas
A ristra (/ˈriːstrɑː/) is an arrangement of drying chile pepper pods, garlic bulbs, or other vegetables for later consumption.
Traditionally, chile peppers are sun-dried, the fruits being spread on roofs or on the ground. However, because of contamination by birds and rodents, people began to tie them together in strings or ristras and hang them on a wall. Commercial processors now use controlled artificial drying.
What is chile de ristra used for?
While they are best known for making into red sauce, the rehydrated peppers can also be deliciously used in salsas, soups, or stews. Using them dried, you can even make your own chile powder. Edibility was the original purpose of the bright and beautiful ristra.