Ancho Chile Powder

Pronounced "AHN-cho," the ancho chile pepper is the most commonly used dried chile in authentic Mexican cuisine. The dried poblano is called chile ancho, which translates to "wide chile". Poblanos are from the species Capsicum annum.

These chiles have also secured popularity in the United States as a part of Southwestern and Tex-Mex cuisines. With more interest blossoming in the United States for authentic Mexican food, more chiles are being introduced into the repertoire of home chefs and culinary artists in swanky restaurants alike.

History of Ancho Chiles

These chiles are native to the Puebla Valley, a fertile region that can be found southwest of Mexico City. Puebla City, Mexico’s fourth-largest city, was established ex nihilo—“out of nothing”—by Spain in 1531, after the Spanish monarchy had recommended that their colonizers not overrun established indigenous settlements but rather, build on previously unclaimed territory. Once Puebla City—or in its first official naming, Puebla de los Ángeles—was established, it was quickly recognized as a significant cultural and strategic center. Located roughly mid-way between Mexico City and Veracruz, Puebla became a convenient stop for travelers and an important trading post. Puebla lies at the foot of the volcano Popocatépetl, and the soil of this region is rich with volcanic minerals. Agriculture as industry expanded after the Spanish conquest, and eventually fueled the national spread of the Ancho Chile.

The Ancho, and its parent chile, the poblano, can be found in two signature dishes that have roots squarely in Puebla. The Mexican War of Independence lasted for more than a decade and finally, in 1821, the Mexican General Agustin de Iturbide signed the Treaty of Cordoba in Veracruz. This secured Mexican independence from Spanish rule and brought the war to an end. After the signing, he stopped in Puebla on his way back to Mexico City, where nuns from the Santa Monica convent presented him with chiles en nogada, a dish created in his honor. The green poblanos, topped with a white walnut sauce and red pomegranate seeds, paid tribute to the newly-created Mexican flag.

The other Puebla-associated dish, mole poblano, has an even murkier history. A complex combination of ground chiles, nuts, tomatoes, chocolate, and sweet spices like Cinnamon and Cloves. Legend credits its invention to a 16th- or 17th-century Dominican nun, Sor Andrea de la Asuncion, in Puebla’s Santa Rosa convent. Sor Andrea was charged with the responsibility of creating a special dish in honor of a visiting archbishop; initially lost for inspiration, she prayed for divine guidance and then directed her kitchen staff to combine everything in the kitchen and hope for the best. This is a terrific story, though it’s likely that mole existed long before the Spaniards came to Mexico.

In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, molli means “smashed” or “pureed”; you can still see this in evidence elsewhere, like the -mole part of the word “guacamole”. What is likely is that Aztec cooks had already created a pureed sauce with local ingredients like chocolate and peanuts. With the advent of Spanish crops—and spices, hence, things like cinnamon and clove—and a surprising similarity in the Spanish verb moler, “to grind”, mole became a literal melting pot of old and new cultures in Mexico.

The Mexican Revolution ended in 1920 after 10 years of brutal fighting and Mexico’s new leadership wanted to help heal a war-torn country. They wanted to promote the idea of one country, one people, a country of mestizaje, people who embodied the fusion between indigenous heritage and colonial influence. Mole, which reflects a wide range of cultural influences, was used as a tool to unify the country. It was promoted as the dish that spoke for the people, and it was an easy banner to wave, since different regions have different moles that reflected the various influences of the region and had been woven into cultural fabric in the 500 years that had passed since the Spanish occupation. And thus mole, and the Ancho Chiles that are indispensable to a good mole, became Mexico’s national dish and catapulted Ancho Chiles into the forefront as Mexico’s most popular chile.

Cultivation

Poblano chile plants usually grow between 2-3 feet tall, and are surprisingly heavy for their size, often needing to be staked up to prevent the fruit from sogging into the ground. They germinate from seed in soil that can maintain a steady temperature of 65°F, and it takes about 50 days for these plants to flower once the seeds are sown, and another 50-60 days from flowering to produce harvest-ready peppers. These subtropical plants do best when nighttime temperatures do not dip below 65°F, and daytime temperatures range between 75-80°F.

These plants do best in full sunlight and loamy soil with good drainage. They want enough water to stay damp, without becoming waterlogged. Overwatered plants will often express their dilemma with withered, wilted leaves and stunted pepper growth, since roots are struggling to extract nutrients from the soil. Healthy poblano plants can be harvested several times during its growing season and one plant can produce around 3 pounds, or 18-20 chiles each.

Unripe chiles are grassy green; as they ripen they change to yellow, and then to red. Poblanos are picked while they are still green, while those designated as Anchos remain on the plant to reach full, berry-red maturity. Once harvested, chiles are laid on well-ventilated oak mats and left to dry in direct sunlight. They are flipped at three-day intervals to ensure they are drying evenly. After 15-30 days, chiles should be wrinkly and deep, mahogany red, and feel somewhat leathery. They are then sorted and graded; "Primero" is the highest grade ancho, with a ripe, full berry flavor. "Mediano" is the medium grade ancho, which isn’t as sweet and tends to be a bit hotter than the primero. "Ancho" is the standard grade pepper.

Where Is Our Ancho Chile Powder From

Our Ancho Chile Powder comes from Mexico.

Mole and the "Holy Trinity"

Ancho chiles are a key chile in the famous "holy trinity" lineup of Mexican chiles used in moles, pronounced "MOH-lehs." The other two chiles that make up this trifecta are the Pasilla de Negro and Mulato chiles. Some confusion exists because there are some people who believe that Mulato chiles and Ancho chiles are the same, when in fact they are merely cousins and are different chiles entirely. Ancho chiles are a key part of "mole poblano," a recipe that according to legend was created in the 16th century by a Dominican nun named Sor Andrea de la Asuncion at the Santa Rosa convent, located in Puebla, Mexico.

Not All Ancho Chiles are Anchos!

Depending on the region, this chile may have several different names. Growers sometimes mistakenly identify the fresh poblano as an ancho as well. In California, Ancho chiles are sometimes confused for the Pasilla de Negro chile, a chile that doesn't look or taste anything like the Ancho. Pasilla chiles have a long, thin body and a different texture to them. Be careful when sorting through your chile collection to pick out chiles for your holy trinity that you are in fact reaching for an Ancho.

Cooking with Ancho Chile Powder

Ground Ancho Chile Powder is used in spice rubs, mole sauces, and in enchilada sauces. It is used to intensify the flavor of meat marinated and seasoned with adobo, otherwise called an adobado. It's great on beans, beef, casseroles, chicken, dips, pasta, pizza, popcorn, pork, red chilis, rices, salsa, soups, and stews.

If you are looking for a simple and delicious way to glaze your salmon, try mixing a teaspoon of ancho powder with some fresh, raw honey. This is the perfect glaze for salmon or really any fish when you are going to sauté it.

Some of our favorite recipes using Ancho Chile Powder include Cinnamon and Ancho Chile Chocolate Bark, Green Chile Stew, Quick and Easy Spicy Grilled Shrimp.

What Does Ancho Chile Powder Taste Like

Ancho Chile Powder has a mild fruity, sweet, slightly smoky flavor with undertones of plum, raisin, tobacco and a slightly earthy bitterness.

Is Ancho Chile Powder Hot

Ancho Chile Powder has a heat range of 500-3,000 SHU.