Chuck "C.J." Johnson spun the cylindrical cage full of Socorro green chile hard as the four flames surged — a hypnotic rotation emitting a delectable, unmistakable aroma in the tent.

"That's going to be a good roast, too," Johnson said, describing the legendary art of roasting around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Fred's Socorro Chile Stand, off of St. Michael's Drive, on the business's opening day for the season.

The roasting of chile in the parking lots and shopping centers of Northern New Mexico marks the onset of fall and represents a central culinary and cultural tradition in the state, which describes itself on license plates as the chile capital of the world. Over an open flame, the peppers become charred and golden in the roasters, giving rise to a smoky smell that wafts across intersect

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