Did you know that there are more than 60 types of chili peppers grown in Mexico. Likewise, more than 4,000 varieties of chili peppers are grown around the world. An essential part of Mexican gastronomy, chiles add complexity, depth, and a punch of heat to a larger variety of authentic dishes. Plus, fresh chiles add color and texture to dishes, too. In Mexico, some of the most common chiles are the Jalapeño, ancho, cascabel, poblano, chipotle, morita, guajillo, serrano, habanero, pasilla, de arbol, manzano, puya, and piquín chiles. Árbol chilies, known as chiles de árbol in Spanish, are probably the most popular chili peppers used in traditional Mexican cooking. Want to take a vacation to Mexico to try some spicy food in person? Call  Amazing Mexico at (866) 883-0573 because they have travel packages on sale right now. Meanwhile, read below for more about chili peppers in Mexico.

 

Get to Know Chili Peppers in Mexico:

 

Poblano Chili Peppers – Poblanos are dark green, large chiles also known as ancho chiles. In Spanish, the word “Ancho” means “wide”. Out of all the dried chiles found in Mexico, the ancho chile is the sweetest and mildest. When it is in its dry form, the large and triangular shaped poblano chile is the most common dried pepper in Mexico.

 

 

 

 

 

Jalapeño Chili Peppers – Next, jalapeños are another one of the most common chillies in Mexico and around the world. Jjalapeño peppers are very versatile and are used in several forms including fresh, roasted, pickled or smoked. Likewise, chipotle peppers are actually just jalapeños that are dried so they become smoky, spicy, and a little sweet. There are two types of chipotle peppers including meco chili peppers that are large, tan in color, and have a strong flavor, and chipotle morita peppers which are small, dark red, and sweet.

 

 

 

 

Pasilla Peppers – The pasilla chile is also known as chile negro. In dried form, the pepper is long and narrow with dark, wrinkled skin. In terms of heat, pasilla peppers can be mild, medium or even hot and spicy. Once dried, they are usually around 6 to 8 inches long and 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. Pasilla peppers are similar to Guajillo peppers except that they have more intense heat. Oftentimes, dried pasilla chiles are used in a variety of sauces such as fresh salsa, enchilada sauce, and mole sauce.

 

 

 

 

Guajillo Peppers – Next, guajillo chilies are the common ingredient used in salsas specifically made for tamales. In order to prepare this sauce, the guajillo peppers are first dried, then seeded, then soaked in simmering water. Next, they are pulverized, mashed or pureed into a paste. Lastly, they are then cooked with several other ingredients to produce a flavorful sauce that pairs perfectly with delicious homemade tamales.

 

 

 

 

Serrano Peppers – Tiny serrano peppers are very spicy and were originally produced in the mountainous regions of the states of Puebla and Hidalgo. In fact, the name serrano refers to the mountains found in those regions. The serrano pepper is commonly used to make giardiniera.

 

 

 

 

Habanero Pepper – One of the spiciest chilies around is the habanero pepper. When they are not yet ripe, habaneros are green. However, once they are ripe they tend to be orange or red. On average, a ripe habanero is around 2–6 centimeters in length. The peppers are loaded with capsaicinoids, and score around 150,000 Scoville Heat Units, ranking the habanero amongst the spiciest peppers in the world.

 

 

 

 

Ghost Pepper – Lastly, the ghost pepper is a hybrid of Capsicum chinense and Capsicum frutescens. In 2007, Guinness World Records identified the ghost pepper as the world’s hottest chili pepper which is 170 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. In fact, the ghost chili is rated with more than one million Scoville Heat Units (SHUs). For comparison’s sake, the hottest ghost pepper is supposedly 416 times hotter than a jalapeño pepper which scores around 5,000 Scoville Heat Units.

 

 

 

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