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Dried Mexican peppers: which pepper do you use for what?

Gedroogde ancho, guajillo, pasilla, mulato, chipotle, árbol en cascabel, een paar op een comal en een molcajete met salsa roja.

Anyone making a pot of pozole or a bowl of birria in Mexico almost always starts with a bag of dried peppers. They are the backbone of the cuisine: sweet and round like raisins, smoky like a campfire, or bright and clean like the slender chile de árbol. In our shop in Amsterdam, they sit in whole rows next to each other, and because they look so similar, we often get asked which one you actually need. They are the bags of Xatze and Tajín and the cans of La Costeña that you simply see sitting in supermarkets in Mexico, so you are cooking with the same peppers as a Mexican family at home. If you want the big picture first, read Mexican Cuisine 101.

Which dried Mexican pepper do you use for what?

For mild, sweet red sauces and stews, you use ancho and guajillo; for dark mole, pasilla and mulato; for smoke, chipotle; and for pure heat, chile de árbol or habanero. Cascabel sits somewhere in between, nutty and mild. The lines on the cards are our own estimate of the heat on a scale of 1 to 5, so it is just an indication: every harvest differs, always taste carefully.

Not sure which pepper to start with? Go for ancho and guajillo: with those two you make salsa roja, pozole and most red stews, and once you are used to that you add pasilla for depth or a chipotle for smoke.

What are dried Mexican peppers?

Dried Mexican peppers are ripe chili peppers that have been dried in the sun or in a dehydrator, making their flavor more concentrated and sweeter. What is striking is that a pepper in Mexico often gets a new name as soon as it is dried. The fresh poblano is called dried ancho, the chilaca becomes pasilla and a jalapeño that has been dried and smoked over a fire, we know as chipotle.

What is an ancho pepper?

Xatze Chile Ancho is the dried poblano: a wide, wrinkled pepper in dark red-brown with a sweet, slightly smoky flavor and little heat. Ancho means wide, and you can see that immediately from the shape. It gives sauces a round, almost fruity base and is in our salsa roja, the pozole rojo and in the stew of barbacoa.

What is a guajillo pepper?

Tajín Chile Guajillo is a smooth, elongated pepper with a thin, shiny red skin and a fresh, fruity flavor with a mild to medium heat. Together with the ancho, it is one of the most commonly used dried peppers in Mexico. Guajillo is especially known for its color: the bright red broth of pozole and the consomé of birria owe their hue to this pepper.

What is a pasilla pepper?

Xatze Chile Pasilla is the dried chilaca, a long, almost black and heavily wrinkled pepper that is therefore also called chile negro. The flavor is deep and slightly bitter, with notes of raisin and cocoa, and the heat remains modest. Pasilla belongs in mole and in dark sauces for beef, such as barbacoa with beef cheeks.

What is a mulato pepper?

Xatze Dried Mulato Peppers resemble ancho, and that is true, because the mulato is also a dried poblano, only from a variety that ripens darker. Because of this, it is almost black-brown and tastes deeper and sweeter, with notes that remind of chocolate and coffee. The heat is mild. You mainly use it in mole.

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What is the difference between chipotle meco and morita?

Xatze Chile Chipotle Meco and morita are both chipotle, a ripe jalapeño that has been dried and smoked over a wood fire, but the meco is smoked longer. It is brown, dry and hard, with a strong smoky flavor that you can really taste in a sauce. The chipotle morita is smoked for a shorter time, remains dark red and softer, and tastes fruitier and slightly sweeter. Morita goes into our salsa macha and in the birria; for quick work, there is ground chipotle.

Chipotle in adobo

La Costeña Chipotle Peppers are chipotles in a can with adobo, a sour, slightly sweet sauce made of tomatoes, vinegar and spices. They are already soft, so you chop or blend them right into your sauce. This can is the base of tinga de pollo, shredded chicken breast in chipotle-tomato sauce, and half a chipotle through a pan of beans also works well; more about that in Mexican beans.

How hot is chile de árbol?

Tajín Chile de Árbol is quite hot, only the habanero in this guide is hotter. It is a thin, pointed, bright red pepper with a clean, burning heat and a slightly nutty flavor. It holds its red color well after drying. You make a spicy tablesalsa with it, such as our salsa de chile de árbol, and it goes together with morita in salsa macha. Sprinkle ground árbol over pozole; for convenience, there is Xatze Arbol Chili Paste.

What is a cascabel pepper?

Xatze Chile Cascabel is a small, round, reddish-brown pepper that rattles when you shake it; cascabel means little bell or rattle. The flavor is woody and nutty with a hint of smoke, and the heat is mild to medium. In the barbecue with beef cheek, it goes together with ancho and pasilla de la pan.

When do you use dried habanero?

Xatze Dried Chile Habanero is for when you really want heat, with a fruity, almost tropical aroma. Habanero is especially at home in Yucatán, where it goes into salsa and hot sauce. According to the product information, this dried habanero is grown in the Westland. One pepper is enough for a whole pan, so start with half a pepper and taste. If you prefer a ready-made bottle, read Mexican hot sauce.

Which dried peppers do you use for mole?

For mole poblano, you usually use ancho, pasilla and mulato, the trio that is sometimes called the holy trinity of mole in Mexico. Ancho brings sweetness, mulato depth and a hint of chocolate, and pasilla a slightly bitter, dark note. Together with roasted seeds, nuts, spices and often a piece of chocolate, that makes a thick, dark sauce. How exactly that works, and which ready-made mole paste you can use, you can read in Mole explained.

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How do you use dried peppers?

You use dried peppers in three steps: roast briefly, soak and puree. First wipe them clean with a dry cloth, cut off the stem and remove the seeds and the light ribs, because that is where much of the heat is and they make a sauce grainy.

Roast the peppers for half a minute on each side in a dry frying pan, just until they start to smell, and take them out before they turn black, because burnt peppers make your whole sauce bitter. Then let them soak in hot water for fifteen to twenty minutes, blend them with some soaking water, roasted tomato, onion and garlic, and strain the sauce so that the tough skins remain behind.

Finally, fry the sauce for a few minutes in a little hot oil: it will become darker and thicker, and the flavor rounder.

Whole or ground Mexican peppers?

Xatze Ground Ancho Peppers and other ground peppers are for speed: you just sprinkle them into a rub, through chili con carne or through mayonnaise, without roasting or soaking. For salsa, pozole, birria or mole, whole peppers work better, because you roast them yourself and the sauce then becomes fuller and softer. Ground chile with lime on fresh fruit is by the way a Mexican classic from the street food; read more about that in Mexican snacks.

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Recipes with dried Mexican peppers

In these recipes you see how dried peppers work, from a quick salsa to a stew that simmers for hours. Tacos are made with warm corn tortillas; read all about tortillas and masa and a complete taco night at home in the other guides.

Everything for Mexican cuisine

Dried peppers, chipotle in adobo, masa harina, beans and salsa, all in one place.

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Frequently asked questions

How spicy is an ancho pepper?

Ancho is mild. It mainly adds sweetness and color, and most people who are not used to spice can cook with it without any problems.

Do you need to soak dried peppers?

For sauces, yes: after roasting briefly, leave them in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes so they soften and blend well. For salsa macha, you roast them in oil without soaking.

Why does my salsa made with dried peppers taste bitter?

Usually, the peppers have been roasted for too long or at too high a temperature. Half a minute on each side in a dry pan is enough; if they turn black, it is better to start over.

What is the difference between chipotle and jalapeño?

Chipotle is a ripe jalapeño that has been dried and smoked. This gives it a smoky, deeper flavor than a fresh jalapeño.

Can I replace ancho with guajillo?

In a red sauce or stew, yes, but the result will be fresher and less sweet. Mulato is closer in flavor to ancho.

How do you store dried peppers?

Follow the label. In general, keep them in a tightly sealed bag or jar, in a cool, dark place, so they remain flexible and retain their aroma.

What are the three peppers used in mole poblano?

Ancho, pasilla and mulato. Together they provide the sweetness, depth and dark, slightly bitter note that characterize mole.

With a bag of ancho and a bag of guajillo in the cupboard, and perhaps a can of chipotle in adobo beside them, you can make a lot of Mexican cuisine at home, from a bowl of salsa roja on a weekday evening to a pot of pozole for the whole family on Sunday. Take the time to roast and taste, because you will quickly notice how different all those peppers are and which ones you like best. If you are standing in the shop in Amsterdam in front of those long rows of bags and are not sure, feel free to ask us, and if you want to read more about masa, beans, mole and the rest of Mexican cuisine, start with Mexican cuisine 101.