Food
Food Information
Peppers/Chiles

ANCHO

The ancho is a dried poblano chile, and is the most commonly used dried chile in Mexico. Brick red to dark mahogany, with an orange-red cordovan tint when held up to the light. Wrinkled, with broad shoulders (in Spanish, ancho means wide), tapering to a round end. Measures 4 to 5 inches long and about 3 inches across at the shoulders. Medium thick fleshed; at its best when very flexible and aromatic. The ancho is the sweetest of the dried chiles. It has a mild fruit flavor with tones of coffee, liquorice, tobacco, dried plum, and raisin, with a little woodiness. It is frequently mislabeled as a pasilla. The ancho together with the mulato and the true pasilla form the "holy trinity" of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces. The ancho is sold in three grades of quality in Mexico; primero is the highest grade and consists of the largest, thickest-fleshed chiles (pictured opposite). Mediano is the medium grade, while ancho is the basic grade. Indispensable for making sauces and moles Can be purchased in powdered form.