FACT - Chile has been tantalizing tongues in New Mexico for nearly 400 years.

EXPRESIÓN - Chile Cheechako. One totally inexperienced with chile chomping. Cheechako, pronounced chee-CHAK-ko, means tenderfoot or greenhorn. The word cheechako comes from combining the Chinook Indian word chee, meaning new, fresh, or just now, with the Nootka Indian word chako, which means to come, to approach, or to become.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK, MA'AM...Recently I dined alone at one of my favorite local Mexican cafes. Once again postponing my New Year's Resolution Calorie Count Diet, I ordered a platter of enchiladas blanketed in a blazing-hot green chile sauce, and a tall glass of milk to help, when necessary, reduce the chile flame. (Dairy products, such as milk and yogurt, numb a chile-chafed tongue.) I was mid-way through my endorphin rousing repast - face flushed, sweating at the brow, eyes tearing - when a road grimy RV pull into a parking spot out front. The plates read Maine, Pine Tree State. A gentleman in his early 70s sat behind the wheel and his (I assumed) wife was perched on the passenger seat. With the engine running, they spoke, appearing to decide on whether to dine here or to go on. After a couple of minutes, the travel weary couple stepped out of their vehicle, headed to the door, and paused briefly before entering. They seated themselves at a table adjacent to mine. We exchanged pleasantries, and while they considered the menu, Iesumed my meal, mopping my brow along the way.

Now and then the woman would glance in my direction and offer an uneasy smile. At one point, she leaned close to her husband and whispered. He eyeballed me briefly and then excused himself and ambled toward the restroom. Self-conscious, I surveyed my blouse to make sure it was buttoned properly. Although it was a wee bit damp from the chile excitement, everything seemed to be in order. The woman continued her intermittent study of me. Becoming anxious to leave, I used a tortilla scrap to mop my plate clean of the remaining savory chile sauce and flagged down a waitress for my check. Reaching for my purse, I felt a light hand touch my arm. It was the woman. "Excuse me, dear," she said in a soft, motherly tone. "I couldn't help but notice, uh, your flushed face... they don't last long, you know," she said reassuringly, "just a few months." Stunned, I mumbled something like "Oh!," paid the bill and walked to my car becoming more and more amused. In just a few moments, this kindly chile cheechako would expeence her first dose of Valley chile, probably her first "hot flash" in some 20 years.

SAGE ADVICE - Mike and Penny McDonald offer this piece of advice when handling hot chile: Slather hands in vegetable oil to prevent chile burn...an ideal solution for those who find rubber gloves cumbersome.

ROJO [RED] POUR FAVOR - Legend has it that before home freezers became available in the late '30s, red chile sauce was used more often than the green variety as an essential in Mexican fare. How come? Dried red chiles were, and remain today, available year-round. Technology aside, many New Mexicans prefer red sauce to green - its rich, earthy flavor adds an unusual sweet punch to most dishes.

AUTHENTIC NU-MEX RED CHILE SAUCE...does not contain tomatoes. So, what's legal? A smidgen of salt, garlic cloves, onion, and a pinch or two of dried oregano. Also permissible: a splash or two of cream, especially when creating enchiladas.

A CHILE COMPLEMENT - Epazote [eh-pah-ZOH-the]. Also called Mexican tea and wormseed. A pungent, wild herb with smooth, pointed leaves. Available dried. Use sparingly. Bean lovers will appreciate its side effects - it helps reduce gas. Epazote is also used to make a strong tea.