Eat More Chilis

Eat More Chilies

Ancho:

These thick, meaty green chiles are commonly used in a variety of Mexican cuisine. When dried, they're brownish-black and wrinkly. A dried deep reddish-brown chili pepper up to three inches wide and four inches long with a sweet, hot flavor. A new variety, called Villa Ancho, has been developed by the Curry Chile Farm near Pearce, Arizona. It is larger, meatier, and has a consistent flavor and heat. When fresh they can also be referred to as poblanos. Anchos are flat, wrinkled, and heart shaped. The ancho is the sweetest of the dried chiles; and is often used in authentic Mexican cooking and is a staple in red chile and tamales.

Ancho chile pepper heat rates between 1,000 and 2,000 Scoville units on the heat index scale.

Learn more about the Scoville heat scale.


Heat of Chilis