The New Mexico chili gets its name because--as you would expect--it originates from the area in and around that state, and this one is widely used in Southwestern cooking. It is usually available in markets here in Texas, as is the Anaheim chili which is very similar, just grown in different territories but also from the Capsicum annuum species. It can be used fresh in recipes or as an addition to dishes, but most often the chili is roasted. The...
Bottom Line: The Serrano chili is hotter than the better-known Jalapeno with more taste and can be used in a wide variety of dishes or as a topping by itself.
While the Jalapeno is the most-recognized chili pepper worldwide, and the superhot pods like the Ghost Pepper and Carolina Reaper get a lot of attention these days, the Serrano chili is a major contender as well, and one that I personally reach for quite often. They may not be as well...
Bottom Line: The Carolina Reaper has a good flavor, but you only taste that for a few seconds before the heat makes your mouth go numb.
In 1999, the Habanero entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the hottest chili pepper on the planet. But that didn’t last long, as India’s Ghost Pepper (aka the Bhut Jolokia) came to the attention of Guinness in 2007 and was then handed the record. Chili pepper growers took that as a challenge,...
Bottom Line: Calabrian chili peppers pack some heat and bring plenty of flavor and they work very well with Italian cuisine.
In the United States, jalapeno and serrano chili peppers are well-known and easy to find in most produce markets. The hotter pods like Thai chilis, habaneros, and ghost peppers are also familiar and you can track those down without too much difficulty. But there are some chilis that are not as common here in the States,...
Bottom Line: These multi-colored chilis have little to no heat, but they are quite versatile and can make a good addition to many salsas and dishes.
You may have noticed those bags of brightly colored chilis referred to as “Mini Sweet Peppers” which have become a fixture in the produce section the last few years (well, at least they have here in Texas), and you may have wondered just what they taste like. When they first started showing up,...
Bottom Line: These little firecrackers pack a nice punch and can kick up any dish that needs some heat.
The Thai chili is an umbrella name for a small, tapering pepper that originates in and around the Thailand area. According to ChiliPepperMadness.com, “there are at least 79 separate varieties of the pepper that have appeared from three species in Thailand, and they grow in green or red”. Wikipedia incorrectly has the Thai chili under the...
The Ghost Pepper is one of those next level chilis. Jalapenos and Serranos can kick up the heat, and Thai chilis and the Cayenne pepper will amp things up even more. The Habanero/Scotch Bonnet was once considered the top of the scale, but then people started learning about the Ghost Pepper which promised a journey straight into the inferno. Also known as bhut jolokia, this chili originates from India and is one of the hottest in the world at...
The Chili de Arbol is usually found in the markets dried or in powder form and it is the chili often used to make up the ristras that that popular throughout the Southwest and into Mexico (dried New Mexico chilis are also used for ristras). The name means “treelike” which refers to the plant that it grows from which can reach up to three feet in height. Nicknames for the chili include pico de pajaro (“bird’s beak”) and cola de rata...
The Habanero chili is one of the hotter peppers out there, but it is one that brings a lot of flavor with it as well. It has lost its mystique a bit with some of the other killer pods that currently get much of attention from chiliheads, but it still counts as a contender. I personally consider it my favorite chili (what, you don’t have a favorite chili?) and incorporate it into my cooking and sauces as much as possible. The Habanero comes in...
The poblano pepper is a commonly found pod, and it is one of the larger chilis available in the market. The ancho chili is the dried version of this and is also readily available in stores. Both are milder peppers and have many uses in sauces, salsas, and many other dishes that call for chilis or that could use a little kick. The poblano is about the size of a bell pepper, but not as bulbous. Its taste is similar to the jalapeno, but I actually...
