Chile Peppers

The Anaheim chile, named because it was canned in Anaheim, California beginning in the early 1900s, was developed from the pasilla. With a modest level of heat, it is popular for stuffing. Photo by Scott Liddell | Morguefile.

Page 6: Types Of Chiles ~ D To J

This is Page 6 of an eight-page article. It includes such popular chiles as the habanero and jalapeño. Click on the black links below to see other pages.

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Espelette Peppers or Piment d’Espelette or Ezpeletako Bipera: The chile of Piment d'Espelette - Espelette Pepper

Spain’s Basque country is as treasured there as paprika is in Hungary. It is believed that the chiles were introduced into the Basque Nive Valley by Gonzalo Percaztegi, a navigator who voyaged with Christopher Columbus (who brought chiles to Spain in 1494), in 1523. Basques often use Piment d’Espelette instead of black pepper; it is prominent in local dishes such as piperade. The pepper is sold in a powdered spice form: The peppers are dried naturally, baked in an oven and ground into powder. The AOC-protected chile has its own official website (in French).

Fresno Chile: Fresno chiles are available in red and green varieties, the red being the sweeter of the two. On the Scoville scale, it ranks with a serrano. Red Fresnos are found in a broad range of Latin dishes. They are delicious added to soups, stews and dips or roasted and enjoyed whole with barbecued meats and poultry.
Photo of Fresno chiles at right, courtesy of Melissas.com

Guajillo Chile: A thin-skinned chile from Mexico with complex notes, including a green tea flavor, berry notes and a faint pine nut finish, often used in seafood dishes. It has medium heat (5 on a scale of 10) and a deep red color that intensifies when the chiles are soaked.

Habanero: The hottest chile grown in central America or the Caribbean (10 on a scale of 10), the habanero is named after Havana, where it is believed to have originated, and was later Habanero Peppers

introduced to the Yucatan peninsula. The habanero is the most intensely spicy chile of the Capsicum genus. Unripe habaneros are green, but the color at maturity varies. Common colors are orange and red, but white, brown, and pink are also seen. The lantern shape resembles a bonnet; the typical ripe habanero is 1 to 2-½ inches long and 1-3/4 inches in diameter. It is loosely related to the Scotch Bonnet and the Jamaican hot chiles. Most habaneros rate 200,000 to 300,000 SHUs—30 to 50 times hotter than the jalapeño. Its fierce, intense heat and flavor mix, with an underlying delicate fruity, citrus-like flavor, mix well with tropical fruits and tomatoes. It is used extensively in salsas, chutneys and seafood marinades. The longer the chopped chiles infuse in the sauce, the more powerful the flavour. Note that there is no “ñ” in habanero. It’s a very common mistake made by English speakers. The correct pronunciation is a-va-NEH-ro.

Health Benefits: Chiles are high in vitamin C (they contain more than oranges and broccoli), are a good source of fiber (if you can eat enough of them), and the antioxidants in the capsaicin may fight cancer and heart disease.

Hot Paprika: See paprika.

Jalapeño: Flat with a shiny green color, the jalapeño is a small to medium-sized Jalapeno

chile that is prized for the hot, burning sensation that it produces in the mouth when eaten. It is a sweet, medium heat—5 on a scale of 10—and the chile is used in sweet dishes such as well as savory ones. Jalapeño can be found fresh, roasted, pickled or smoked (when it is called a chipotle). It has a heat level that varies from mild to hot depending on how it was grown and how it was prepared. It is named after Jalapa, the capital of the Mexican state of Veracruz. The jalapeño is America’s most popular chile and one of the most popular in Mexico as well. Beyond salsas and other Mexican foods, add some jalapeño to sauces and soups, or infuse in vinegar to add a kick to salad dressing.

Japones: The small red chiles found in Asian dishes. This chile is very flavorful and spicy with medium high heat.

Chile Pepper Glossary

Page 6: Types Of Chiles ~ D To J