The poblano (''

Capsicum annuum ''Capsicum annuum'' is a fruiting plant from the family Solanaceae (nightshades), within the genus Capsicum which is native to the northern regions of South America and to southwestern North America. The plant produces Berry, berries of many color ...

'') is a mild

chili pepper Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli ( ), are varieties of fruit#Berries, berry-fruit plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. They are used as a spice to ...

originating in

Puebla Puebla, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Puebla, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its capital is Puebla City. Part of east-centr ...

, Mexico. Dried, it is called ancho or chile ancho, from the Spanish word ''ancho'' (wide). Stuffed fresh and roasted, it is popular in chiles rellenos poblanos. While poblanos tend to have a mild flavor, occasionally and unpredictably they can have significant heat. Different peppers from the same plant have been reported to vary substantially in heat intensity. The ripened red poblano is significantly hotter and more flavorful than the less ripe, green poblano. A closely related variety is the

mulato ( , ) is a racial classification that refers to people of mixed African and European ancestry only. When speaking or writing about a singular woman in English, the word is (). The use of this term began in the United States shortly ...

, which is darker in color, sweeter in flavor, and softer in texture. The

pasilla The pasilla chile ( ) or ''chile negro'' is the dried form of the ''chilaca'' chili pepper, a long and narrow member of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Named for its dark, wrinkled skin (literally "little raisin"), it is a mild to hot, rich-f ...

pepper is sometimes incorrectly called "poblano", particularly in the United States, but they are distinct from true poblano peppers.

Growth

The bush has multiple stems and can reach in height. The fruit is long and wide. An immature poblano is dark purplish green in color, but the mature fruits eventually turn a red so dark as to be nearly black. Poblanos grow in

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

s 10–12 and do best with a soil pH between 7.0 and 8.5. They typically prefer full sunlight and may require additional support for the growing fruits during harvest in late summer. A poblano takes around 200 days from seed to harvest and requires soil temperatures of at least 64 °F (18 °C) to germinate.

Use

Preparation methods include: dried, stuffed, in ''mole'' sauces, or coated in whipped egg (''capeado'') and fried. It is particularly popular during the Mexican independence festivities as part of a dish called ''

chiles en nogada ''Chiles en nogada'' is a Mexican dish of poblano chiles stuffed with ''picadillo'' (a mixture usually containing minced meat, aromatics, fruits and spices) topped with a walnut-based cream sauce called ''nogada'', pomegranate seeds and parsle ...

'', which incorporates green, white, and red ingredients corresponding to the colors of the

Mexican flag The national flag, national flag of Mexico () is a vertical Tricolour (flag), tricolor of green, white, and red with Coat of arms of Mexico, the national coat of arms charge (heraldry), charged in the center of the white stripe. While the meani ...

. This may be considered one of Mexico's most symbolic dishes by its nationals. It is also usually used in the widely found dish ''

chile relleno The chile relleno (, literally "stuffed chile") is a dish in Mexican cuisine that originated in the city of Puebla. In 1858, it was described as a "green chile pepper stuffed with minced meat and coated with eggs". The most common pepper used is ...

''. Poblanos are popular in the United States and can be found in grocery stores in the states bordering Mexico and in urban areas. After being roasted and peeled (which improves the texture by removing the waxy skin), poblano peppers are preserved by either canning or freezing. Storing them in airtight containers keeps them for several months. When dried, the poblano becomes a broad, flat, heart-shaped pod called a ''chile ancho'' (literally "wide chile" or "broad chile"). These dried ancho chiles are often ground into a powder used as flavoring in various dishes. "Poblano" is also the word for an inhabitant of Puebla, and ''mole poblano'' refers to the spicy chocolate chili sauce originating in Puebla.

Gallery

Image:PasillaKnife.jpg, A fresh poblano chile Image:Capsicum annuum ancho dried.jpg, A dried poblano is called a "chile ancho"

References

{{Capsicum Cultivars Chili peppers Crops originating from Mexico Capsicum cultivars

Growth

Use

Gallery

See also

References