Chile peppers

[Papa Tom]

Since there is always some confusion over chile peppers here is a thing I did to clarify it a bit.

Chili is the recognized spelling of cuisine prepared with Chile peppers (edible or inedible).
Chiles:
Anaheim, developed by Emilo Ortega c1900.
AKA Long green chile W TX & NM Also Long red chile when ripe same regions.
AKA Hatch when grown in Southern NM
AKA Chimayo when grown in Northern NM (The oldest strain considered superior).
Colorado is the dried ripe Anaheim
AKA Red Chile these are the chiles found woven into the long "ristras" seen hanging.
Guajillo and NM Long Red are substitutes.
Improved culivars:
Big Jim
Sandia
Espanola
Pablano, orig fr Puebla Mexico
AKA Pasilla on the West Coast (fresh or dried)
Ancho is dried ripe Pablano, the chile in chili powder.
Mulatto is a close relative that may be substituted.
Habanero, inedible chile consumed for torture in some cultures. (see BBQ)
AKA Scotch Bonnet.
Jalapeno, orig fr Jalapa, Veracruz Mexico the most widely used pickled pepper in TX & MX
Chipotle, smoke-dried Jalapeno
Serrano, smaller than Jalapeno is the most widely used fresh pepper in TX & MX.
Pequin, grows wild in southern TX and northern MX.
AKA Piquin
AKA Chiltepin
AKA Chilipiquin
Orig Chiltecpin "flea chile"
3 to 4 Pequins = 1 Serrano = 1/2 Jalapeno
Arbol, "tree chili" these are the skinny red chiles that are crushed and mixed with tomatoes for hot sauce.

Ok now you know, or suspect that I made this all up.

[SteerCrazy]

great source of information, thanks for the post, especially from a Kansas boy that don't know anything about peppers except Hab's are my fav, hottest but fav!

[OSD]

Great post with lot of good info. Thanks

[xxfubarxx]

Replied to a post 2 threads up and then read this. Had to go edit it. So a pablano is the same as a pasilla ?

[Papa Tom]

Replied to a post 2 threads up and then read this. Had to go edit it. So a pablano is the same as a pasilla ?

Only in California, they aren't really the same but are very similar and usually interchangeable. To get a true pasilla look for chilaca or chile negro. Again in California the pasilla is used interchangeably with the ancho.

[xxfubarxx]

Thanks for the info...now off to go in search of some pasilla LOL

[copkid]

Papa Tom,
Thanks for some great info! I certainly get confused with all the different peppers out there. I just try to go by the 'the smaller, the hotter, when shopping. I have to say serrano's are my favorite. They give off some heat like jalepeno's, but have a bit of sweetness to them, kind of like red bell peppers, compared to green bell peppers.
Laura

[bigwheel]

Hey thanks Papa..very informative. Now where do Casabels fit into this pitcher? Thanks. Also when purusing some of the ICS recipes I find a lot of them which calls for California Chili Powder..or maybe its Chile powder I aint sure. From some of the descriptive adjectives I have heard about it have about concluded it similar to paprika. Dont seem to have much pep to it. Now is this hot or cold? They sell big bags full of it at the .99 Cent store...for the stated price. Could it be just ground up Ancho maybe?

bighweel

[Papa Tom]

Hey thanks Papa..very informative. Now where do Casabels fit into this pitcher? Thanks. Also when purusing some of the ICS recipes I find a lot of them which calls for California Chili Powder..or maybe its Chile powder I aint sure. From some of the descriptive adjectives I have heard about it have about concluded it similar to paprika. Dont seem to have much pep to it. Now is this hot or cold? They sell big bags full of it at the .99 Cent store...for the stated price. Could it be just ground up Ancho maybe?

bighweel

California is probably kin to Colorado chile powder which is ground up ripe anaheims very mild like paprika. Lots of confusion because peppers take on the name of where they are grown.

Re: Casabels I didn't do or try to go beyond the most common where the most confusion occurs.

[bigwheel]

Well you got me to goggling on them cascabels..found whut looks like a fairly informative website. Notes it lines up near perfect with whut you just said. Plust it got pitchers of em. Now have about decided the cascabels is anchos..but the Pasillas I got wasnt. They was sorta dark and purple looking and believe they was a bit hotter than the ancho/cascabels..and nearly know they wasnt the CA/CO Anaheim paprika variety. I think they show up later down the list. I dont think even real Mexicans know the names to all this stuff. When I was buying dried peppas last time I axe the hispanic lady in the meat market whut kind I need whilst holding up two bags. She points to the anchos/pasillas (I think) and she say.."I put them in my tamales." Purty good recommendation huh? She say the purple looking ones was too hot. Thats when I decided to buy a bag of each:)

http://www.foodsubs.com/Chiledry.html#cascabel

bigwheel