Chile

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 7: Types Of Chiles ~ K To P

This is Page 7 of an eight-page article. Click on the black links below to see other pages.

This glossary is protected by copyright and cannot be reproduced in whole or part.

Kashmiri Chile: The slender chile, also called degchi mirchi, is a relatively spicy chile (7 on a scale of 10) of India that provides the vibrant red color to meats and curry vindaloo.

Long Chile: A group of bright red, thin-skinned chiles of medium heat (6 on a scale of 10), that don’t have a complex flavor so can be used whole, chopped or crushed to add heat to virtually any dish. They are often fried whole in oil to start a curry before the other aromatics are introduced. Not to be confused with long pepper, Piper longum, an East Indian shrub that produces a long peppercorn with a flavor similar to the round black peppercorn in common use, Piper nigrum. (See our Peppercorn Glossary for more information on peppercorns.)

Malagueta Chile: Originally from Brazil, the malagueta is an extremely hot chile (9.5 on a scale of 10), similar to the birdseye chile in both appearance and flavor. It is typically minced with oil in a salsa or as a table condiment. Not to be confused with the meleguetta pepper, Aframomum melegueta, an African rhizome plant of the ginger family whose seeds, also called Grains of Paradise, are used as a spice to flavor beer and foods. (See our Peppercorn Glossary for more information on Grains of Paradise.)

Manzano Chile: The manzano, though cultivated in Mexico, is not a member of the Capsicum annuum species. It is part of the Capsicum pubescens species from the Andes region, a relative of the hot South American rocoto peppers (between 30,000 and 50,000 SHU). Manzanos are used most often in fresh form because the pods are so thick they are difficult to dry. The chiles have black seeds.

Naga Jolokia: The naga jolokia chile is from the same species, but a different variety, of the chile used by Tabasco sauce. When ripe it measures two inches long and a half inch wide with an orange color, similar in appearance to the habañero chile. It has gained notoriety as “the hottest chile in the world” with a reported 855,000 SHUs besting the previous record holder, the red savina habañero. However, there was no independent verification of the first test. It grows wild in the army garrison town of Tezpur, in the northeastern state of Assam, India (the red savina is cultivated). It is also called Bih Jolokia in some places of Assam (Bih = Poison, Jolokia = chile pepper; in Assamese).

Nora Chile: The dark red nora chile, from Spain, is very mild—1 on a scale of 10—and is sometimes referred to as paprika or pepper. It is large, fat, round and glossy with a rich, mild and sweet flavor, and is used to give a deep red color to dishes when added whole or in slices.

Paprika: Paprika is a sweet-to-mild variety of the chile (Capsicum annuum, order Polemoniales). It can be elongated or round fruit, bright red, yellow, or green in color. Associated with Hungary, it originated in South America and grows all over the world. In Hungarian, “paprika” refers both to the chile and to processed paprika in its different forms. The ground spice is a favorite seasoning in Hungary, where it is used in stews (the famous goulash), ragouts, stuffings, sauces and as a garnish. In fact, eight or more different varieties can be purchased there with different levels of pungency, ranging from Special Quality (Különleges), the mildest and brightest red, to Hot (Erös), light brown in color, the hottest of all the paprikas (the hottest paprikas are not the bright red ones, but the palest red and light brown spices). Paprika is also sold smoked, for additional flavor. It is most popularly used as a dry seasoning for meats or root vegetables; in soups, sauces and marinades; or to provide a beautiful color and flavor, for example, in mayonnaise and dips.

Pasilla Chile: Pasilla chiles are long, wrinkly, dark brown-black and medium-hot (6 on a scale of 10) Pasilla means “raisin” in Spanish, and the pepper has a distinctive Pasilla

grape, herbaceous flavor (some say licorice) that lends itself to moles, enchiladas, chicken, duck, lamb and pork. Its relatively thin flesh means that it can either be added to dishes whole or in pieces, soaked and pureed or stuffed, sliced into rings or diced and added raw to a salad, sauce or salsa. Pasilla is popular in marinades and as a garnish, with finely sliced rings scattered over a soup, chile, eggs or other dish. Because of its dark brown wrinkliness, it is sometimes confused with the ancho, which also shares some raisin flavors.
Photo courtesy Wikipedia Commons.

Peppercorns: Peppercorns have no relationship to Capsicums, the species to which chiles and bell peppers below. Black and white peppercorns derive from the Piper genus, which contains Piper nigrum L., the source of black and white pepper. (See our Peppercorn Glossary for more information.)

Peppers: In the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada, as well as the U.S., the heatless pepper varieties are called “peppers,” “sweet peppers,” “green peppers,” or “red peppers.” See also “chilli/chillies.”

Pimento: The pimento is a variety of large, red, heart-shaped pepper that measures 3 to 4 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide. Pimiento is the Spanish word for “pepper.” The flesh of the sweet pimento is sweet, succulent and more aromatic than that of the red bell pepper. They are the red stuffing found in green olives.

Poblano: “Poblano” refers to an inhabitant of Puebla, Mexico, the provenance of these mild, green chiles. The poblano chile is popular fried, stuffed and in mole sauces. When dried, it become the broad, flat, chile known as ancho (meaning wide in Spanish).
Photo courtesy Melissas.com.

Chile Pepper Glossary

Page 7: Types Of Chiles ~ K To P