Anaheim or New Mexico:
Available in both green and red forms and used fresh, roasted,
or dried, this chile has a rather mild, peppery flavor. The most common chile grown in the U.S., it is frequently stuffed
for chiles relleños and can easily be added to any vegetable, meat, or egg dish. Dried maroon Anaheims are the chiles most
often woven into the hanging decorations known as ristras. 500-1000
Poblano:
This glossy, richly green pepper looks like a slightly flattened
green bell pepper with a pointed tip. It has a full, earthy flavor and aroma, with thick flesh perfect for stuffing. Generally
mild, poblanos are good in corn dishes, soups, sauces, and salads. 1000-1500
Ancho:
This dried poblano is the most popular dried chile in Mexico. Usually
very mild, it is flat, wrinkled, and heart shaped and can be almost black. When rehydrated, the ancho becomes crimson. 1000-15000
Pasilla ( Pah-see-yah ):
Sometimes confused with the ancho, this dried chile is long and
skinny where anchos are wide, and is the pepper used in Mexicos chocolate molé sauce. 1000-1500
Guajillo ( Gwa-hee-yo ):
This hot, dried pepper has a smoky, peppery taste and fruity aroma,
and is known as mirasol when fresh. It is very popular in Burma and India as well as Mexico. 2500-5000
Jalapeno:
This is the most widely known and eaten fresh chile in the U.S.
Red or green, jalapeños are hot and richly flavored, with thicker flesh than most small peppers. They go well with cheese
and in spoonbreads, cornbreads, sauces, and pastas. Jalapeños are also pickled or used to make hot pepper jelly. 2000-5000
Chipotle ( Chee-pote-lay ):
The chipotle is a dried, smoked jalapeño, very hot and with a
distinctly rich, smoky flavor. It is often found canned in adobo sauce, a mixture of onions, tomatoes, vinegar, and spices,
but can also be purchased in the dried form. 2500-5000
Serrano:
This tiny pepper is used extensively in Thai cooking as well as
in Mexican salsas. It has an intense, searing heat that lasts and is used raw or roasted. 10,000-23,000
Cayenne:
The favorite of Creole and Cajun cooks, this long red pepper is
sweet and exceedingly hot. It is grown mainly in India and Asia, and is the most widely used chile in the world. The cayenne
has a flavor similar to the tabasco pepper and is usually used in its dried form. Chile de Arbol is a form of cayenne grown
in Mexico. 30,000-50,000
Habanero ( Scotch bonnet ):
This small lantern-shaped pepper comes in a range of colors and
has the distinction of being the most fiery of all domesticated chiles. It is known for its floral flavor as well as its heat,
which affects the nasal passages, and is a favorite in hot sauces, Jamaican jerk seasoning, and salsas. 100,000-300,000
