Chiles

The Best Dried Chiles for Chili

No single chile or group of chile peppers is “best” to use when making a pot of homemade chili.

What Are Chiltepin Peppers

Chiltepin Pepper (pronounced "CHIL-te-pin"), Capsicum annuum, are tiny red chiles, roughly ¼ inch across, that look more like a berry than a pepper.

How Well Do You Know Your Chiles?

There is some debate about the exact number of types of chile peppers, but experts all agree that the number reaches into the thousands.

The Flavors of Chiles

Chile peppers are complex fruits and, like wine, can express a wide range of flavors in just one fruit.

Guide to Mexican Dried Chiles

Mexico is famous for its richly flavored and spicy food and that is thanks in large part to the abundant use of chile peppers in their cuisine.

How Hot are Dried Chile Peppers?

Chile peppers encompass an enormous range of heat; the Carolina Reaper is searingly hot, measuring between 1,400,000 - 2,200,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU).

What Are Chipotle Meco Chiles

Chipotle Meco chiles, a version of dried and smoked jalapenos, are botanically classified as Capsicum annuum.

What is a Chipotle

Chipotle peppers are dried smoked jalapeno peppers. They have an underlying sweetness with bitter and smoky notes.

What Are Puya Chiles

Puya chiles belong to the botanical family Capsicum annuum, and they are called by the same name, whether fresh or dried.

What Are Mulato Chiles

Mulato chiles, botanically classified as Capsicum annuum, are the result of prolonged ripening of a poblano pepper.

What Are Pasilla Peppers

Pasilla chiles are the dried form of chilaca peppers, botanically classified as Capsicum annuum.

What Are Pequin Peppers

Pequin Chile Peppers (pronounced “puh-KEEN”), botanically classified as Capsicum annuum var.

What Are Chiles de Arbol

De Arbol chiles, or chiles de Arbol, are small and slender chile peppers with a bold, spicy bite.

What Are Pasilla de Oaxaca Chiles

Pasilla de Oaxaca chiles (pronounced "pah-SEE-yah day wa-HAAK-kah") are a variety of smoked pasilla chiles grown in the Oaxaca region of Mexico.

What Are Ancho Chiles

Ancho chiles are one of the most popular chiles in Mexican cuisine. Use Ancho peppers in authentic sauces, soups, marinades, and spice rubs.

What Are Guajillo Chiles?

Guajillo chiles are the second-most used chile in Mexican cuisine.

What is the Hot Pepper Scale

There are so many varieties of peppers - from the mild green and sweet red peppers to the fiery Habanero peppers.

How to Rehydrate Dried Chiles and Peppers

From surface texture alone, dried chiles can be an intimidating ingredient.

You Might be a Chile Head...

Do you think you have what it takes to consider yourself a chilehead? Ask yourself these questions:

Chiles You Haven't Heard of But Soon Will

Predicting food trends is right up there with the weather and the stock market. I've always loved bacon, but who knew it was going to be EVERYWHERE almost to the point of bacon shortages?

What's So Special About New Mexico Chiles?

Chile peppers play an important role in the culture and development of the American Southwest, and have been embedded into the fabric of the Americas for thousands of years.