The wall of dried chiles on the Mexican grocery retailer is at all times mesmering to me—a mural with colours starting from vivid pink to black that exudes the aroma of fruit, chocolate, raisins, and nuts—but it surely can be daunting. With at the very least a dozen varieties on the shelf, it may be tough to know which sort of chile is finest for which dishes. Even for these aware of dried chiles, like me, issues get a bit sophisticated when the identical identify is used to establish totally different chiles (pasillas, for instance). I put collectively this information of 12 fashionable Mexican chiles that may enable you to study the looks, warmth stage, and makes use of of every.
Dried Chile Fundamentals
Chiles were first cultivated around 6000 years ago in what’s now Mexico, and a few specialists imagine that the observe of drying chiles was launched as a preservation technique by the Aztecs and Mayans shortly after. Along with preserving them, drying concentrates the flavors and aromas of chile peppers to supply earthy, nutty, and fruity notes. Dried chiles incorporate extra than simply warmth and taste to a dish; they’re additionally used to thicken blended sauces and make them smoother. Should you’re new to working with chiles, it’s a good suggestion to get aware of their aroma since that’s a superb indicator of how they’ll style—you need to use it as a place to begin when mixing and matching chiles for a recipe.
The one inedible a part of a chile is the stem, however the seeds are additionally usually eliminated to present dishes a smoother texture. Nevertheless, needless to say these seeds include warmth, so there could also be some cases while you need to incorporate them right into a dish. Chiles with skinny skins when uncooked often have a clean pores and skin when dried, with a texture much like laminated paper; chiles with thick skins will likely be wrinkly like raisins when dried.
Gentle vs. Darkish Chiles
Dried chiles fluctuate from gentle to darkish in shade. Gentle-colored chiles vary from pink and burgundy to reddish-brown, and have a tendency to style vivid. Darkish-colored chiles are darkish brown, black, and purple, with a distinguished taste that’s someplace between licorice and raisin. As a rule of thumb in lots of Latin American cuisines, gentle chiles are often paired with hen, pork, or fish, whereas darkish chiles are paired with beef or duck. Nevertheless, this guideline shouldn’t be adopted too strictly—hen is nice in mole negro, which makes use of darkish chiles like pasillas, and the favored dish chili con carne is made with beef and options gentle chiles like árbol. It’s additionally common to pair gentle and darkish coloured chiles in recipes, corresponding to pozole and mole for tamales.
Pozole Rojo (Mexican Red Chile Pork Soup)
Warmth Measurement
The warmth of a chile is measured utilizing the Scoville Warmth Unit (SHU). Warmth stage varies relying on the place a chile is grown—hotter climates sometimes produce hotter chiles, for instance—so every chile has a variety of SHU. Smaller chile varieties, like chiles de árbol or chiltepin, are sometimes hotter than massive chiles. For essentially the most half, darkish chiles carry quite a bit much less warmth. Some speculate that it’s because they’re picked on the finish of the ripening course of, at which level they lower in capsaicin and enhance in sweetness; nonetheless, this isn’t true of all darkish chiles.
Shopping for, Storing, and Cooking With Dried Chiles
Dried chiles are extremely versatile and can be utilized to make something from hot sauce to brownies. So as to keep the efficiency of dried chiles, it’s finest to purchase them complete and crush or grind them when prepared to make use of. Should you’re going to mix chiles right into a sauce, you’ll have to steep them in sizzling water for about 20 minutes.
When looking for dried chiles, ensure that those you buy are complete and never cracked into items—this ensures higher high quality and correct care taken when packaging. Don’t purchase pre-toasted dried chiles—they’re usually burnt and have bitter flavors. Moreover, dried chiles needs to be pliable.
Retailer dried chiles in a cool, dry place in a sealed container for freshness and to forestall bugs from getting in. Correctly saved chiles will final indefinitely, however will begin to lose their taste and aroma after a few years.
Widespread Dried Chiles
Chipotle
Getty Photographs / Maxsol7
Scoville unit: 2,500 to eight,000 SHU
Colour: Tan
Taste notes: Smoky
Also referred to as chipotle meco, these are smoke-dried jalapeños. They’re gentle brown and shriveled with a tricky, leathery texture and a gentle to medium warmth stage. Chipotles are sometimes blended into salsas or marinades for a lift of smokiness. You may as well discover them canned in adobo, the place they rehydrate when soaked within the sauce. These chiles are smoked longer than chipotle morita (beneath), which is why they’re drier and stiffer.
Morita
Gettty Photographs / Carlos Rodriguez
Scoville unit: 5,000 to 10,000 SHU
Colour: Reddish-brown
Taste notes: Smoky, fruity
These smoke-dried jalapeños are also called chipotle morita. They’re quick, stubby, and reddish brown, with a gentle to medium warmth stage and a smoky, fruity taste—although their smokiness isn’t as dominant because the chipotle. These chiles are sometimes utilized in moles and salsas, like salsa macha, however they can be pickled and used as a condiment.
Guajillo
Getty Photographs / Laszlo Selly
Scoville unit: 2,500 to five,000 SHU
Colour: Reddish-brown
Taste notes: Fruity, earthy
Some of the generally used dried chiles in Mexican delicacies, Guajillo is the identify mirasol chiles tackle when dried. They’re massive and thin with robust, clean, vivid pink pores and skin and a gentle warmth stage. These chiles are fruity and earthy with a contact of sweetness and acidity, they usually’re usually paired with different chiles like anchos and pasillas. Guajillos are utilized in tomato-based dishes corresponding to pozole rojo, a pork and hominy stew, and tortas ahogadas, sandwiches drenched in tomato sauce.
Puya
Getty Photographs / Pictures By Tonelson
Scoville unit: 5,000 to eight,000 SHU
Colour: Darkish Pink
Taste notes: Fruity, spicy
Puyas are recognized by the identical identify contemporary or dried. They’re lengthy and slender with a clean, reddish-brown pores and skin and a medium to excessive warmth stage. Typically described as a warmer guajillo, this chile has earthy and fruity notes. A few chiles may be soaked and blended into the bottom of a soup like pozole or menudo (tripe soup).
California
Getty Photographs / David Bishop Inc
Scoville unit: 500 to 2,500 SHU
Colour: Pink
Taste notes: Candy
Also referred to as chile seco del norte, California chiles are dried Anaheim chiles. They’re skinny with burgundy pores and skin and a low warmth stage. California chiles are gentle and used so as to add shade, sweetness, and acidity to varied dishes. They’re a well-liked alternative for chilaquiles and enchiladas.
Chiles de Árbol
Getty Photographs / David Bishop Inc
Scoville unit: 5,000 to 30,000 SHU
Colour: Brilliant pink
Taste notes: Nutty, spicy
These chiles go by the identical identify whether or not contemporary or dried. They’re small and skinny with vivid pink pores and skin and nutty, earthy notes, however they’re primarily used for his or her excessive warmth stage. Chiles de árbol are finest utilized in tandem with gentle, flavorful chiles, like California and anchos, that will profit from a kick of warmth in dishes like enchiladas and chile con carne (spicy braised meat). Chiles de árbol are additionally sometimes crushed to be used as pink pepper flakes.
Ancho
Getty Photographs / Mardoz
Scoville unit: 1,000 to 2,000 SHU
Colour: Reddish-black
Taste notes: Fruity
Darkish reddish-brown to black with wrinkled pores and skin, ancho chiles are the identify of poblano chiles when dried. They’ve a gentle warmth stage, and, together with guajillos, are probably the most generally used dried chiles in Mexican delicacies. Their sharp, fruity taste makes them a terrific match for salsas and adobos. They work effectively when soaked, blended, after which integrated into do-it-yourself chorizo. You would possibly see pasilla anchos on the retailer, however it is a totally different kind of chile. The simplest method to inform them aside is their measurement—anchos are broad and pasillas are skinny.
Mulato
Getty Photographs / David Bishop Inc
Scoville unit: 2,500 to three,000 SHU
Colour: Brownish-black
Taste notes: Chocolaty
Created from poblanos, these chiles have a average warmth stage and a brownish-black, wrinkled pores and skin. Each mulatos and anchos come from poblanos, however anchos are made with ripe poblanos and mulatos are made with poblanos which have matured longer, and the 2 chiles have very totally different taste profiles. Mulatos style like licorice, chocolate, and prunes. They’re usually utilized in mole poblano, a thick Mexican sauce, and a flexible mulato salsa that can be utilized on grilled meats or as a dip.
Pasilla
Getty Photographs / Tom Kelley
Scoville unit: 350 to three,999 SHU
Colour: Black
Taste notes: Smoky, raisiny, earthy
Also referred to as chile negro, pasillas are the identify of dried chilaca chiles.They’re named after raisins—pasas—due to their raisin-like texture and taste. These chiles have a gentle warmth stage and are lengthy with a black, wrinkled floor. They’re mostly soaked and blended to be used in mole negro, the place they contribute a darkish shade and sharp, earthy taste.
Cascabel
Scoville unit: 1,500 to 2,500 SHU
Colour: Brown
Taste notes: Nutty, earthy
Cascabel is the identify of dried bola chiles. These chiles appear like massive cherries with a clean, reddish-brown pores and skin. Their identify comes from the Spanish phrase for rattle because of the sound the seeds make for those who shake it. Cascabels have a gentle warmth stage and a nutty taste. They’re usually utilized in uncooked salsas the place they’re soaked after which puréed together with tomatoes or tomatillos.
Habanero
Getty Photographs / Zlatimir Stojanovic
Scoville unit: 100,000 to 350,000 SHU
Colour: Darkish orange
Taste notes: Citrusy, spicy
Recognized by the identical identify contemporary or dried, these chiles are darkish orange and brown with robust, shriveled pores and skin. They’ve a really excessive warmth stage and a floral, citrusy taste. Mixing and rehydrating a small quantity of dried habaneros is a good way so as to add intense warmth to sizzling sauces and salsas rojas. They can be toasted and crushed in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to sprinkle over pasta, fried hen, or eggs.
Chiltepin
Getty Photographs / Maxsol 7
Scoville unit: 50,000 to 100,000 SHU
Colour: Brilliant pink
Taste notes: Earthy, spicy
Additionally recognized by the identical identify contemporary or dried, chiltepins are thought-about the “mother of all chiles” as a result of it’s the pepper from which lots of, if not 1000’s, of others originated. They appear like pink peppercorns, however don’t confuse them with oval-shaped chile pequins, which aren’t as spicy as chiltepins. Chiltepins have a excessive warmth stage and a smoky, earthy taste. These chiles are sometimes soaked and blended into salsas however can be positioned in a pepper grinder and floor contemporary over a dish. They are often arduous to search out in some elements of the US, however they’re accessible on-line and value in search of out.
Trending Merchandise

BAYOBID Stainless Steel Kitchen Utensil Set | 24 Pieces Cooking Utensils Set | Perfect Metal Kitchen Utensils set…

mafiti Oil Dispenser Bottle 180ml/6Oz Olive Oil Dispenser Sprayer for Cooking Air fryer BBQ Grilling Salad Baking…

URASISTO 19-Piece Home Tool Kit Hand Tool Set with Easy Carrying Pouch Perfect for DIY, Home Maintenance

Veluebay Kitchen Utensils Set, 12 Pcs Non-Stick wooden utensils for cooking, kitchen utensils set with holder, silicone…

Kitchen Gizmo Snap N Strain Pot Strainer and Pasta Strainer – Adjustable Silicone Clip On Strainer for Pots, Pans, and…

Garlic Press, Upgrade Garlic Mincer Stainless Steel Garlic Press Rocker, Professional Kitchen Gadget with Ergonomic…
