Chilies

Chilies are used in cuisines worldwide and each has its favorite. The heat in chilies deepens the flavor of a dish, in the same way that freshly cracked black peppercorns do.

In general, the smaller the variety of chili, the hotter it is. This heat is measured on the Scoville scale with some chilies measuring in the millions of Scovilles. Although this may sound manly to certain folks who seek to consume the hottest chili they can find, it doesn't impress me one bit. For me, chilies are either mild, hot or very hot. In my cooking, that seems to suffice.

Heat is not evenly distributed within a chili. The seeds and ribs are generally much hotter than the flesh. As such, discard the seeds and ribs if you want to tone down the heat.

Listed here are chilies common to Mexico and parts of Central and South America. Many chilies are listed twice - in their fresh and dried states. Chilies dry very well, a process that changes and intensifies their flavor. Once dried they become a different ingredient, hence a change of name and the double listing.

Ancho
Details	A dried poblano chili. About three inches long, almost black in color.
Heat	Mild
Flavor	Rich and slightly sweet reminiscent of roasted tomato skins. Can substitute with mulato or guajillo chilies.
Uses	A common chile used in sauces. Its mild flavor adds a deep warmth without an overwhelming amount of heat.
Arbol
Details	Two to three inches long, green when fresh, bright red when dried.
Heat	Hot
Flavor	Clean hot taste with not a lot of other flavor.
Uses	Commonly used dried in dishes that need lots of heat. Popular in Salsa Picante, a typical condiment that graces many tables in Mexico.
Cascabel
Details	About one inch in diameter, reddish brown color.
Heat	Hot
Flavor	Slightly bitter and earthy.
Uses	Popular in moles and sauces with a mixture of other chilies. Its aromatic flavor goes well with robust meats like beef and game.
Chipotle Meco
Details	A smoked jalapeño. Two to three inches long and the color of a cigar.
Heat	Hot
Flavor	Deep and smokey.
Uses	Excellent when you want a rich smoky flavor packed into a small amount of chili. Good with grilled meats or blended into marinades.
Chipotle Morita
Details	About one inch long, deep red in color. You can find them dried or rehydrated in tins of adobo sauce.
Heat	Hot
Flavor	Mild and smoky, not as intense and slightly sweeter than a chipotle meco.
Uses	Use when you want to add only a hint of smoky flavor to your dish. Excellent in tomato-based or fruity sauces.
Guajillo
Details	Two to three inches long, dull reddish brown and nearly always dried.
Heat	Mild to hot
Flavor	Woody with slightly sour tones, reminiscent of tamarind. Can substitute with ancho or mulato chilies.
Uses	Commonly used in sauces that bring a level of warmth and thickness to a dish. Also great with shellfish such as clams and oysters.
Habanero
Details	A squarish chili, up to one inch long. Yellow or orange when ripe and commonly used fresh.
Heat	Very hot
Flavor	Sweet with slight citrus tones.
Uses	Used for adding heat without adding texture to dishes. Good in pickles and sweeter sauces.
Jalapeño
Details	Two to three inches long, bright green and sold fresh.
Heat	Hot
Flavor	Crisp hot flavor, not overly sweet or bitter.
Uses	Commonly used in salsas that are served raw. Excellent pickled. Also good grilled and served with lime and salt. Eating them this way is not for the faint of heart.
Mulato
Details	Two to three inches long, dark reddish black and nearly always dried.
Heat	Mild
Flavor	Imparts a full earthy tone, similar to smelling a bag of freshly picked mushrooms. Can substitute with ancho or guajillo chilies.
Uses	Commonly used in rich sauces like the famous moles of Mexico.
Pasilla
Details	Four to five inches long and less than an inch in width, dark reddish black and always dried. When fresh, the chili is called chilaca. There is also a unique varietal of pasilla grown in Oaxaca called pasilla de Oaxaca. This chili is commonly sold smoked, thus delivering a completely different flavor.
Heat	Mild
Flavor	Pasillas are slightly bitter or medicinal in flavor. Don't let this put you off though. When combined with other ingredients they are wonderful.
Uses	Commonly used in rich sauces like the famous moles of Mexico.
Piquin
Details	About the size of a raisin, these bright red chilies are nearly always sold dried.
Heat	Very hot
Flavor	These tiny chilies have no specific flavor apart from their intense heat.
Uses	Use this chile when you want to add heat. Often piquins are combined with other milder chilies. The mild chilies provide flavor, the piquin provides heat.
Poblano
Details	About four inches in length and dark green. Like a bell pepper but more pointy at the base.
Heat	Mild
Flavor	Sweet mild flavor. Poblanos are similar in flavor to green bell peppers, but are spicier and not quite as bitter.
Uses	Commonly used as a vegetable. Poblanos are great for stuffing (chili rellenos or chile in nogada sauce). Poblanos are also great grilled over a flame until blackened, then peeled and cut into strips (rajas) and served hot in a little sour cream.
Rocoto
Details	About one and a half inches in diameter. Looks like a miniature bell pepper. There are many varieties, some of which are red and some yellow. Pictured here is a rocoto orange.
Heat	Mild to hot
Flavor	Sweet like a yellow or red bell pepper but spicier. The seeds can be very hot.
Uses	Use as you would a bell pepper. Excellent for stuffing, or slicing into salads.
Serrano
Details	About one to two inches long, bright green and shiny. Generally sold fresh.
Heat	Hot, slightly hotter than a jalapeño
Flavor	Clean hot taste with not a lot of other flavor. Can substitute with jalapeño.
Uses	Excellent blended into green salsas or ceviches such as aquachile. Also excellent with other seafood dishes.