Pasilla de Oaxaca Chiles

Leathery, garnet-red Pasilla de Oaxaca chiles emanate the smell of wood smoke from their thin, wrinkled skin. This no-nonsense chile pepper has one mission, and one mission alone: To provide an astonishing depth of almost meaty flavor to food. Many chile peppers retain at least some fruit when they’re dried, but the Pasilla de Oaxaca is intensely smoky, with hints of tobacco. When cooked, it adds an almost pork-like element amid the smoke and cavernous richness. This is a medium-heat chile, measuring between 4,000-10,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), so the heat is present, but not overwhelming.

Endemic to the Oaxaca region, Pasilla de Oaxaca chiles—also known as pasilla Mixe—are grown on the slopes of the Sierra Mixe mountains. Their unique flavor, thanks in part to terroir and in part to the smoking process, means locals protect their resources, and often will not tell curious outsiders where farms and smokehouses are. Fresh Pasilla de Oaxaca chiles are not found outside of their growing region; the seeds can germinate while the pepper is fresh, so producers will only send them dried to market in order to protect their cash crop.

Tips From Our Kitchen

Pasilla de Oaxaca is popular in vegetarian dishes; their rich smokiness mimics a bacon-y flavor without any meat. It’s a beautiful pepper with black beans, so make black bean refritos or a pot of black bean soup. Put the black bean refritos on tortillas and enjoy a Oaxacan Tlayuda, a kind of Mexican street food. The peppers you have may not be big enough to stuff, but they can be added to the filling that goes into chile rellenos. This makes incredible salsas; try it with tomatillos for the contrast between the pasilla’s depth and tomatillo’s tartness. Add them to mac & cheese, or slice into strips and layer over chicken to roast. Shred chicken and chiles for tacos; serve with a cool slice of avocado, fresh onion and a sprinkle of cilantro. It is a powerful chile, so we recommend going easy the first time you use them, until you understand their flavor.

It is best to soften your dried Pasilla Oaxaca before using. Toast them in a hot skillet just until they start to blister on the outside. Submerge in hot water, cover and let sit for 20 minutes; if they sit longer, they can become bitter. Drain and rinse under cold water. Split them open, remove the seeds and slice or blend into paste.

There are approximately 3 Pasilla de Oaxaca chiles per ounce.

This product was cultivated in Mexico.

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