The Holy Trinity of Mexican chillies

Three fastidious savory, sweet, and relatively mild chillies hold a place of particular prominence in Mexican cooking, they are used in the various recipes and famous mole sauces. These dried peppers are often referred to as the “Holy Trinity” of Mexican chillies.

Mexican Chili Peppers have a complex and interesting history in Mexico.

The first chilli pepper, identified as the Capsicum annum, is believed to have originated in the Mexican states of Puebla and Tamaulipas.

Ancho Chilli; Heat; 2/10 - 1000 to 1500 on the Scoville scale

Poblano chilli (Spanish chile poblano, "Puebla pepper") is a variety of the species capsicum annuum. Its fruits are large (7 to 15 cm long and 5 to 8 cm wide) and poor in capsaicin, so that they are relatively mild.

Dried, the fruit is known as ancho pepper (chile ancho, "chili pepper").

They are sweet and smoky with a flavor slightly reminiscent of raisins and licorice, their heat is mild.

Poblano is commonly used in Mexican cuisine, especially in the state of Puebla, where it is used fresh (chile relleno, chiles in nogada) or dried.

Mulato Chilli; Heat; 2/10 - 2500 to 3000 on the Scoville scale

The mulato pepper (Capsicum annuum) is a mild to medium chilli pepper, closely related to the poblano (ancho), and usually sold dried.

The mulato pepper’s poblano has a fuller taste and a darker complexion compared to the poblano pepper, and they are hard to find in fresh form.

Pasilla Chilli; Heat 3.5/10 - 250 to 3.999 on the Scoville scale

The pasilla chile or chile Negro is the dried form of the chilaca chilli pepper, a long and narrow member of species Capsicum annuum.

Pasilla is pronounced pah-see-yah and literally means "little raisin".

The fresh narrow chilaca can measure up to 9.0 in (22 cm) long and often has a twisted shape, which is seldom apparent after drying. It turns from dark green to dark brown when fully mature

Fairly mild, described as chocolaty, with notes of prunes and raisins, it’s considered one of the most flavourful chiles of all.

These chiles can be reconstituted by soaking them in warm water, or they can be ground up or crushed and added to a recipe in that fashion.

They feature prominently in many Mexican dishes, including the Mexico’s national dish “mole poblano”, as well as in soups and sauces.