Are you ready to get the grill fired up for a delicious, Mexican-inspired meal?
You have probably seen the produce at the grocery store and noticed many different kinds of peppers.
You pick up a “pasilla pepper,” and you think it’s a poblano, but maybe you are not sure.
The pasilla pepper, also known as the chilaca pepper, is grown, dried, and then used in many traditional salsas, enchilada sauces, and moles. The pasilla pepper has a heat index of 1000-2500 on the Scoville Heat Unit index, meaning it’s a relatively mild pepper.
In a world full of delicious, authentic foods, do not accidentally overlook the pasilla pepper.
Below, I’ll discuss what makes this Mexican pepper unique, delectable addition to your dinner.
Keep reading to learn more.
The Pasilla vs. The Poblano
In northern Mexico, people often (and mistakenly) use the words “pasilla” and “poblano” interchangeably.
However, they are, in fact, two completely different Mexican peppers.
The heat factor is the most significant difference, and I will explain it in the Scoville Heat Unit section below.
Pasilla Peppers
Actual pasilla peppers, also known as chilaca pepper, are grown in Mexico in the desert heat and at lower altitudes, but like most peppers, they can grow in a backyard garden.
The name pasilla translates to “little raisin” because when dried, the pasilla resembles a raisin.
These peppers are usually dried, which gives them a dried-fruit candy flavor, and then blended with other peppers in salsas, sauces, and mole.
Pasilla chilis are longer, thinner, and smaller than poblanos.
Poblano Peppers
Poblano peppers are commonly mistaken for pasillas because they look similar to each other once poblanos are dried to make ancho chilis.
Poblanos are large, fleshy, and mild and are used in many traditional Mexican dishes to add a meatier balance to the plate without increasing or adding actual meat.
They also have a less intense, earthy flavor.
These peppers are great for salsas but are more appropriate for Mexican stuffed peppers or Chile Relleno, due to the size and mild flavors.
The Scoville Heat Unit Index
Peppers are scored on the Scoville Heat Unit index to gauge their “hotness.”
The spicy flavor that you either love or dislike receives a range on the SHU to decide how fiery you want your dish to taste.
The Scoville Heat Unit scale came from a pharmacist attempting to develop a new medication.
Wilbur Scoville wanted to use the heat from peppers to create an ointment that would produce heat.
As a result, he developed the Scoville Heat Unit index to determine how spicy a pepper tastes.
Scoville’s measurement became the standard unit to categorize spicy peppers by diluting the capsaicin (the compound that gives peppers their spice) with a sugar-water mixture to remove the spicy taste altogether.
The more dilution required, the more intense the pepper.
For reference, a pasilla pepper scores 1000 – 2500 on the SHU.
Poblano peppers score between 1000 and 1500 units.
For reference, bell peppers rate a 0 SHU, and the hottest pepper on the scale, the Carolina reaper pepper, is 2.2 million SHU.
Traditional Dishes That Use Pasilla Peppers
Pasilla peppers are a versatile and delectable addition to your meal.
Chopped chilaca pasillas go well mixed with other peppers, commonly ancho chilis, to make a savory salsa for toppings and dips.
In moles, blended dried pasillas create a paste with tomatoes, onions, seasonings, and chocolate.
Mole sauces provide a mix of sweet and savory flavors to chicken, pork, or fish.
Due to the size of pasilla chilis, they do not make as good of a vessel for stuffed chilis like poblanos, but that does not mean they do not shine as the main dish.
Pasillas con queso – pasilla chile with cheese – is a delicious dish you will be proud to serve.
Final Thoughts
Pasilla peppers are commonly mistaken for small poblano peppers, and people occasionally use the names interchangeably, but pasillas are unique.
Pasillas are dried chilaca peppers which translates to “little raisin.”
The peppers are blended with other types of peppers for salsas or mixed with spices, vegetables, and chocolate to create a mole sauce.
Typical pasilla peppers can rate 1000 – 2500 Scoville Heat Units on the SHU scale, based on how much sugar-water mixture dilutes the capsaicin.
Sources
- Chili Pepper Madness: Pasilla Peppers: All About Them
- Master Class: Pasilla Pepper Guide: How to use Pasilla Peppers
- Pepper Scale: Pasilla Vs Poblano
- Nature’s Path: All About the Scoville Scale
- La Pina en la Cocina: Pasilla Con Queso
- Gardening Know-How: How to Grow Pasilla Peppers
- Smithsonian Magazine: How Hot is that Pepper? How Scientists Measure Spiciness
- Cacao Web: Pasilla Mole
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.