The market · Chillies and peppers · The Americas

Ancho chillies

A dried poblano: wide, wrinkled and mahogany, tasting of raisins and dried plums, with little heat.

fruity · raisin-like · sweet

What to do with it

Classics built on it
MexicanBirriaGoat or beef marinated in a paste of dried chillies, vinegar and spice, cooked slowly until it falls apart, and served in its own rich broth.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

Ancho
Reddish-brown, fruity.
Mulato
A darker poblano type, more chocolatey.

If you can't find it

Latin American grocers and online, dried.

  1. 1Guajillo chilli
    The same; or pasilla
    You lose ancho's raisiny sweetness.

Goes with

guajillo chillidark chocolatetomatocinnamon

Knowing it

Where to buy
Mexican grocers and online. They should be supple, not brittle.
A little history
With mulato and pasilla, one of the three dried chillies behind mole poblano.
Worth knowing
Toast a few seconds a side in a dry pan, then soak in hot water for 20 minutes.

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