Lupita doll with Basket of Chilies

Lupita celebrates the Chili Pepper.  Capsicum fruits have been a part of human diets since about 7,500 BC, and are one of the oldest cultivated crops in the Americas, as origins of cultivating chili peppers are traced to northeastern Mexico some 6,000 years ago. They were one of the first self-pollinating crops cultivated in Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America. Chile peppers are the foundation of traditional Mexican cooking. Whether it’s sweet, fruity, smoky, earthy or hot, the chili forms the base of every meal here, and has even become part of Mexico’s national identity.