The Chili Pepper Lexicon

Introduction

Chili peppers are one of my favorite spices, and they’re a great way to add flavor to your dishes. I love experimenting with different types of chilies and their flavors to find the right taste for any dish. Here’s a little lexicon of some common chili peppers you’ll want to keep on hand:

Pepperoncini: These are mild in flavor and often used in salads.

A pepperoncino is a small, mild chili pepper that can be used in salads, antipasto, and sandwiches. They’re also pickled and added to soups and stews.

Pepperoncini are usually eaten whole, but you can also slice them into rings or strips. The peppers are about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide, with a hot flavor similar to that of banana peppers. They’re mild enough that they can be eaten straight from the jar or pickled.

Bell Peppers: These peppers are sweet and mild in flavor.

Bell peppers are sweet peppers that can be red, green, or yellow. They’re mild in flavor and often used in salads and other dishes.

Because bell peppers are not spicy, they are sometimes called sweet peppers.

They have a crisp texture and a fresh, slightly sweet taste. Bell peppers are available year-round. Bell peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C, which is essential for healthy skin, gums, and blood vessels. They also contain vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese.

Jalapeño: This chili is commonly used in salsas and sauces. It can be mild to very hot.

Jalapeño is a chili pepper that is commonly used in salsas and sauces. It can be mild to very hot, depending on how it’s grown and harvested. The jalapeño is one of the most popular chilies in the world, second only to its close relative, the Serrano pepper (which I’ll get into next).

As a general rule, the smaller the pepper, the hotter it will be. If you see a green jalapeño pepper and want to use it for cooking rather than eating it fresh, cut off the stem end and try removing some of the seeds before chopping or dicing. This will help reduce its heat level.

Chipotle: This chili is moderately spicy, often used in barbecue sauces and Southwest cooking.

Chipotle is a smoked chili. It’s used in BBQ sauce and Southwest cooking, which means it can add a lot of flavor to your dishes without being too spicy. However, if you don’t use chipotles sparingly and add too much, it will make your dish hot!

Chipotle has a smoky flavor and can be used to add spice to your dishes. It’s often used in BBQ sauce, but it can also be added to soups or stews. So if you’re looking for a new way to spice up your meal, then chipotle is worth considering!

Guajillo: This seasoning is often made into jam or jelly and can add a delightful taste to meat dishes.

Guajillo: This seasoning is often made into jam or jelly and can add a delightful taste to meat dishes. The guajillo is a dried chili pepper from Mexico with a sweet and fruity flavor. It’s commonly used in Mexican cooking, particularly in sauces and marinades. You can find it in the spice section of your local grocery store.

This chili has a mild flavor that is often described as fruity and sweet. The guajillo pepper is typically used in Mexican dishes, especially sauces and marinades. You can find it in the spice section of your local grocery store.

Habanero: This pepper has a rich, fruity, citrus flavor but should be used sparingly as it’s very hot.

Habanero: This pepper has a rich, fruity, citrus flavor but should be used sparingly as it’s very hot. The habanero is one of the hottest chilies in the world and is native to Cuba and Jamaica. It can range from 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville heat units (SHU).

The name comes from its city of origin, Habana, and this chili was first cultivated by African slaves on plantations there during colonial times. They picked up the seeds from their home countries, where similar-looking peppers grow naturally; today they are grown all over Central America and Mexico, as well as parts of South America and Africa.

New Mexico Chili Powder: This mixture contains a variety of flavors, including sweet and bitter notes, that add complexity to the dish being seasoned.

New Mexico chili powder is a blend of ground chilies that are often used in Southwestern and Mexican cuisine. It contains a variety of flavors, including sweet and bitter notes, that add complexity to the dish being seasoned.

Chili powder is typically made from a combination of chilies, including ancho and chipotle peppers. It’s important when buying to note whether the mix includes one or both varieties. Ancho chilies are large, poblanos that have a sweet flavor with smoky notes.

Knowing the different types of chilies and their flavors can help you select the perfect chili for your dish!

Chili peppers come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. The most common chili varieties are:

Jalapeño (green)
Serrano (red)
Cayenne (red)
Poblano (green)
Anaheim (red)
Habanero (orange)

Anaheim

Anaheim is a mild chili pepper that is most often used in chili Rellenos. It’s also used in salsas and sauces, with its sweet flavor providing the perfect complement to other ingredients like tomatoes, onions, and garlic. While Anaheims are not as spicy as jalapeños or Serranos, they can still pack some heat if you’re not careful, so proceed with caution!

Aji Amarillo

Aji Amarillo is a yellow chili that is commonly used in Peruvian cuisine. It has a sweet flavor and is not very spicy, so it’s usually added to salsas, sauces, and marinades to add some fruity notes to your dish. If you’re looking for something with more heat, try using a habanero instead!

Ancho

Ancho chilies are a mild and fruity variety that has a sweet, smoky flavor. They can be used in sauces, stews, soups, and braises to add some heat without overwhelming the dish.

Ancho chilies are grown in Mexico and South America during the fall harvest season. They’re picked when they’re red or purple-brown; if left on the plant longer, they will turn black before they ripen fully (and lose their flavor). Like most peppers, there are different varieties of ancho chilli — some are sweeter than others, depending on how long they’ve been left on the vine before being harvested off their stems!

Conclusion

The choice of cultivar or variety may depend on whether transplants or seeds are available. Nevertheless, peppers come in an array of hues, forms, and tastes worth sampling. The chile, hot pepper Annuum, Jalapeno, Aji from Peru, Tabasco, pungent Bolivia Rainbow, and domesticate are all part of the family of capsicum peppers that have been used for centuries to add flavor to food. They vary in intensity from mild to very hot and in color from green to deep red.

Each variety has its own unique characteristics and flavors that make them desirable for particular dishes or tastes. It is important to note that many of these varieties are native to Central and South America but have been domesticated by different countries around the world. The ability to cultivate these peppers has made them widely available across many cultures and cuisines.

Chili peppers are a staple of the American kitchen, but many different varieties offer a range of flavors. The best way to find the perfect chili is by experimenting with different types until you find one that suits your palate.