The pasilla chile ( ) or ''chile negro'' is the dried form of the ''chilaca''

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 ...

, a long and narrow member of the species ''

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 ...

''. Named for its dark, wrinkled skin (literally "little raisin"), it is a mild to hot, rich-flavored chile. As dried, it is generally long and in diameter. The fresh narrow ''chilaca'' can measure up to long and often has a twisted shape, which is rarely apparent after drying. It turns from dark green to dark brown when fully mature. In the United States, producers and grocers sometimes incorrectly use "pasilla" to describe the

poblano The poblano (''Capsicum annuum'') is a mild chili pepper originating in Puebla, 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. W ...

, a different, wider variety of pepper, the dried form of which is called an

ancho The poblano (''Capsicum annuum'') is a mild chili pepper originating in Puebla, 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. W ...

Use

''Pasilla'' are used especially in

sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi- solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavour, texture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French wor ...

s. They are often combined with fruits and are excellent served with duck, seafood, lamb, mushrooms, garlic, fennel, honey, or oregano. They are sold whole or powdered in Mexico, the United States, and the United Kingdom. ''Pasilla de Oaxaca'' is a variety of smoked ''pasilla'' chili from Oaxaca used in ''

mole negro Mole (; from Nahuatl ''mōlli'', ), meaning 'sauce', is a traditional sauce and marinade originally used in Mexican cuisine. In contemporary Mexico the term is used for a number of sauces, some quite dissimilar, including ''mole amarillo'' or '' ...

''.

Use

See also

References

Further reading