Guajillo Chilli

Heat; 3/10

2500 to 5000 on the Scoville scale

A guajillo chilli or guajillo chile (meaning 'big pod”) is the dried form of mirasol chilli, a landrace variety of chile pepper of the species Capsicum annuum, and is the second most commonly used dried chilli in Mexican cuisine (after Poblanos “ancho”).

The Mexican state of Zacatecas is one of the main producers of guajillo chillies. There are two varieties that are distinguished by their size and heat factors.

The guajillo "Puya" is the smallest and hottest of the two ("Puyar" in Spanish, is to prick or poke). In contrast, the longer and wider guajillo has a more pronounced, richer flavor and is somewhat less spicy.

Guajillo chillies have many applications and are used in a variety of Mexican preparations. For instance, they are sometimes used to make a salsa for tamales; the dried fruits (chillies) are seeded, soaked or simmered, then pulverized or mashed/pureed into a paste, then cooked with several other ingredients to produce a flavourful sauce.

Guajillo chillies are used in marinades, salsas, pastes, butters and adobos (spice rubs) to flavor meats and fat or oil with other ingredients.

The guajillo chilli, with its leaner flavour profile, is used with fish and chicken, or added to salsa as a side dish.

The heat of the mirasol chiles is direct, flavoured and intense and that is why it is used a lot in mild and soft meals, the flavor is more delicate and less hot.