A POT OF HOMEMADE Laotian chile paste was always on the table in Kinna Perez’s family home. When she first brought her husband, Manuel, to visit, he instantly recognized the flavor-packed condiment as a distant cousin to New Mexico’s red chile. “You could put it on anything,” Manuel says, from eggs and beans to sticky rice and fish. He asked Kinna if they could start marketing the product, but her initial response was “no way,” believing it would be too hard to do right. Determined, Manuel tried making it himself. Working in a commercial kitchen in Española, he perfected his recipe by sourcing as many local ingredients as possible, including shallots, garlic, and plenty of red chile. The addition of ginger and fish sauce gave the topping a big pop of flavor. His wife was impressed, and the two went into business in 2003. “My mother-in-law likes it too,” Manuel reports with pride. “Though she still thinks hers is better.”
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Kinna’s Kitchen vegan and vegetarian offerings also include a mango salsa. Visit kinnaskitchen.com or find their products at La Montañita Co-op locations and Talin Market in Albuquerque.