That’s right I love spicy and maybe it’s a guilty pleasure lol.
But how do you know which chili to use for each thing? Or what flavor do I need for my meals?
Whether you like your spicy food medium or very mild it is always good to put chili to give a special seasoning to your food.
In this post I will try to explain what some of the different chilies that exist are for. Maybe not all because there is an infinite variety, but you can help me and other readers if you know something that I missed and put it in the comments with the way you use it. Thank you!
Well we will start from sweet to hot to make it interesting…..
Bell Pepper or Sweet Pepper
In the range from 0 to 10, this chili is rated a 0. Being that the hottest chili is the Habanero placed at number 10
Bell Peppers come in different colors including red, yellow, orange, green, white, chocolate, striped, and purple. You could say that they are the rainbow of chilies lol.
Peppers are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Pepper seeds were imported to Spain in 1493 and then spread through Europe and Asia
Well, this particular chilis has many uses, you can use it in salads, raw, roasted, pickle them, ferment them…
You can stuff them and bake them or stuff them raw or you can make them into a soup or you can make Fajitas. These chilies are really sweet, you can play quite well with them. Just let your imagination fly and make a colorful meal.
Poblano Pepper or Chile Poblano
In the range from 0 to 10, this chili is at a 2
The poblano is a mild chili pepper. Originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Dried, it is called ancho or chile ancho, from the Spanish word ancho “wide”. St Roasted and stuffed with cheese it is popular in Chiles Rellenos.
Preparation methods include: dried, stuffed, in mole sauces, or coated in whipped egg (capeado) and fried, rajas con crema (slice chili white cream) .
Chile en nogada is the dish that, according to legend, the Augustinian nuns of the convent of Santa Mónica in Puebla, made with seasonal products (pomegranate, poblano chili and walnut from Castilla) to make a dish that would bear the colors of the Mexican flag; this for celebrating the Independence of Mexico.This dish essentially consists of a poblano chili stuffed with beef and pork, mixed with fruit: banana, apple, pear, peach and bathed in a walnut sauce. This seasonal dish is only prepared between July and September, since some of its ingredients are only available in those months. like the walnut nut and the pomegranate.
Jalapeño Pepper
In the range from 0 to 10, this chili is at a 4
The jalapeño is variously named huachinango, for the ripe red jalapeño, and chile gordo (meaning “fat chili pepper”) also known as cuaresmeño. The name jalapeño is Spanish for “from Xalapa”, the capital city of Veracruz, Mexico, where the pepper was traditionally cultivated. Aztec markets selling Chipotles (smoked jalapeños) and mole made from chipotles, besides the sale of fresh chilies. (This is something I didn’t know and that’s why I wanted to include it 😛 )
Well, in my opinion, this chili can be medium to spicy. You can prepare it in several ways, among them are the “toreado chiles” which are chiles sautéed in oil with salt, in sauces, or stuffed with cheese or crab in whipped egg (capeado) and fried.
Serrano pepper
In the range from 0 to 10, this chili is rated at 6
That originated in the mountainous regions of the Mexican states of Puebla and Hidalgo. The name of the pepper is a reference to the mountains (sierra) of these regions.
They are typically eaten raw and have a bright and biting flavor that is notably hotter than the Jalapeños pepper. Serrano peppers are also commonly used in making Pico de Gallo and Salsas, as the chili is particularly fleshy compared to others, making it ideal for such dishes.
It is the second most used chili pepper in Mexican Cuisine
Bird’s Eye Chili or Thai Chili
In the range from 0 to 10, this chili is rated at 9, only one rank less than the Habanero, which is, let’s say, the spiciest chili.
Their origins are Mexico, Central America, and South America.
In Indonesian cuisine, these chilis are widely used in a variety of dishes and sambals.
In Vietnamese cuisine, these chilis are used in soups, salads, and stir-fried dishes. They are also used as a condiment or eaten raw, both fresh and dried.
In Thai cuisine, these chilis are highly valued for their fruity taste and extreme spiciness. They are used in many dishes, like Thai curries and in Thai salads, or they can just be eaten raw on the side, with for instance, Khao Kkha mu(stewed pork trotter served with rice).
Habanero
In the range from 0 to 10, this chili is rated at 10
The habanero is named after the Cuban city of La Habana ( in English as Havana). Despite the name, habaneros and other spicy-hot ingredients are rarely ever used in traditional Cuban cooking. This information is not so clear. My question is… Why, if they brought that chile from Havana, do they not consume it? Wild habanero plants have been found in Yucatan and they consume it as a basic product. Well I leave you the information and you create your own opinion.
The habanero chili comes from the Amazon, from which it was spread, reaching Mexico. Today, the largest producer of the habanero pepper is the Yucatan Peninsula, in Mexico. Habaneros are an integral part of Yucatecan food, accompanying most dishes, either in natural form or purée or salsa.
One of the most recognized dishes in Yucatan, among others, is the Cochinita Pibil, which is accompanied with a delicious but very spicy habanero sauce that, in fact, even though it has different degrees of spiciness, we always recommend adding drops to your taco and not the whole tablespoon, ha ha!
CHILI PRODUCTS
Paprika
In the range from 0 to 10, this chili is range at 5 (can range from mild to hot )
Paprika is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. Peppers, the raw material in paprika production, originated from North America, where they grow in the wild in Central Mexico and have for centuries been cultivated by the peoples of Mexico. The peppers were later introduced to the Old World, to Spain in the 16th century.
Paprika is used as an ingredient in numerous dishes throughout the world. It is principally used to season and color rice, stews, and soups, such as goulash, and in the preparation of sausages such as Spanish chorizo, mixed with meats and other spices. The flavor contained within the pepper’s oleoresin ( are semi-solid extracts composed of resin and essential or fatty oil ) is more effectively brought out by heating it in oil.
Cayenne pepper
In the range from 0 to 10, this chili is range at 11 not kidding!
The placenta and seeds are included in the powder, making it very hot, so it must be used judiciously.
It is usually a moderately hot chili pepper used to flavor dishes. Cayenne is used in cooking spicy dishes either as a powder or in its whole form.
Cayenne powder may be a blend of different types of chili peppers. It is used in its fresh form, or as dried powder on seafood, all types of egg dishes (devilled eggs, omelettes, soufflés), meats and stews, casseroles, cheese dishes, hot sauces, and curries.
Among the infinity of products that can be found made with chili, we can find chili powder, chili sauces, chili paste or mole paste (the moles are made with different chili peppers and spices, nuts, chocolate and form a paste that is later dilute with chicken or beef stok), also crushed chilis.
Dried Mexican Chilies
NEW MEXICO RED: Heat scale 2-4. This is a large red chili whit fruity flavor. Great for red sauces.
ANCHO OR DRIED POBLANO : Heat scale 2-3. Sweet, fruity and mild, these can be stuffed, cut in to strips or add to mole sauces.
GUAJILLO: Heat scale 3. These are mild, with a green-tea flavor. Use in a many classic salsas.
MULATO: Heat scale 3 . Similar to ancho but with more smoked taste, and a hint of licorice flavor. These can be stuffed, cut in to strips or used in Mexican mole.
CASCABEL OR LITTLE RATTLE: Heat scale 4. Nutty and woody in flavor, these chilies are great in sauces, soups stews and salsas.
PASILLA OR LITTLE RAISIN: Heat scale 4. These medium-hot chilies taste of berries and licorice. Good with seafood and in mole sauces.
CHIPOTLE OR SMOKED JALAPEÑO: Heat scale 6. This Chili is smoky and nutty in flavor, and fairly hot. Use for salsas.
TEPIN OR FLEA CHILI: Heat scale 8. This small chili or a searing head and it tastes of corn and nuts. Use it to flavor bottles of vinegar or oil.
HABANERO: Heat scale 10. with intense aroma and fiery taste, these are excellent in condiments, fish stews, curries and salsas.
Note: The chili family is a minefield: There are at least 150 different types, so it is wise to assume that any unfamiliar chili is HOT!!!
As I said there are many types of chilies and products made with chilies. I don’t want to bore you with a bunch of information that you don’t want to read later. But I hope you leave your comments and if you want to add some type of chili or product please do it! ⇓⇓