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The Guajillo Chile!

The guajillo chile, known as Capsicum annum, is the dried form of the mirasol chile and is dark reddish brown in appearance, lending to a classic, dried chile look. This dried pepper is one of my favorite flavors and makes its way into many of my products.

Background

The guajillo pepper is extremely popular and is very common Mexican cuisine, second only to the Ancho chile in prevalence. Commonly found as whole dried chiles, the pepper often reconstituted, blended and used in marinades, salsas and pastes used to flavor all variety of dishes from birria to mole. The powder of the pepper is a great addition to spice blends such as Somethin' For Rubbin'.

Flavor Profile

The taste of the chile is smoky and sweet, with berry-like hints of flavor and a slight heat. The flavor can be complex, adding a depth of flavor to any dish. The heat of the pepper lives on the low end of the Scoville Scale, ranging between 2500 and 5000 Scoville Heat Units. This makes it roughly in line with the jalapeno in heat.

Fun Facts

There are two types of guajillo chiles: the primary type, simply known as guajillo, is larger, wider, longer and milder in flavor than the second type, known as guajillo puya, which is smaller and has a sharper, spicier flavor.