Chilhuacle amarillo: what it is, taste and uses in mole

What is it?

The chilhuacle amarillo is one of the three chilhuacles endemic to the Cañada de Cuicatlán, in the north of Oaxaca, alongside the rojo and the negro. It is a rare chilli, much prized by traditional Oaxacan cuisine. It has a lantern shape, measures between 5 and 8 cm, has wrinkled skin and a golden-yellow or bright amber colour. It belongs to the species Capsicum annuum. Its Nahuatl name means 'old yellow chilli'. Its heat is low (1,000-2,500 Scoville units), one of the mildest of the Oaxacan dried chillies. It contributes a citrus, fruity flavour and a herbal hint with notes of dried tropical fruit. It is a key ingredient of Oaxacan mole amarillo and chichilo, two of the seven traditional moles of Oaxaca. Its limited production makes it a chilli of high economic and cultural value, at risk of genetic erosion.

Origin and history

The chilhuacle amarillo, together with the rojo and the negro, is one of the oldest chillies grown in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, a semi-arid micro-region of northern Oaxaca with a human presence going back more than 7,000 years, considered a cradle of the domestication of maize and several Mesoamerican chillies. The Cuicatec and Mazatec peoples have grown it for centuries. Larousse Cocina and Ricardo Muñoz Zurita's Diccionario Enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana identify it as an essential ingredient of Oaxacan mole amarillo, alongside the costeño amarillo. CONABIO documents that the three varieties of chilhuacle are at risk of genetic erosion: their production fell drastically in the 20th century and is only maintained thanks to community efforts, programmes by INIFAP and SADER, and Oaxacan chefs and traditional cooks who pay premium prices to preserve their cultivation. The Slow Food organisation included the chilhuacle in its Ark of Taste as an endangered product.

Characteristic ingredients

The chilhuacle amarillo is a Capsicum annuum endemic to the Cañada de Cuicatlán. Its plant is demanding and produces few fruits per season. The chillies are harvested fully ripe and yellow and sun-dried for several days until they reach a golden-yellow or bright amber colour. The skin becomes wrinkled and its shape recalls a small lantern or pepper (5-8 cm), similar to its rojo and negro relatives. Its heat is low (1,000-2,500 SHU), one of the mildest of the Oaxacan dried chillies. It contributes a distinctive citrus flavour with notes of dried tropical fruit (dried mango, papaya), a herbal hint and a sweet touch. To use it, it is deveined and deseeded, toasted briefly on a comal and rehydrated in hot water for about 15 minutes. It is then blended with tomatillo, maize masa, costeño amarillo, hoja santa and cumin to prepare mole amarillo, or with chilhuacle negro and charcoal for chichilo. Its intense yellow colour is the visual signature of traditional mole amarillo.

Cultural significance

The chilhuacle amarillo is an identity-bearing ingredient of mole amarillo, one of the seven traditional moles of Oaxaca, an emblematic dish served at weddings, religious festivities and important family celebrations. It forms part of traditional Oaxacan cuisine recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO since 2010. Its cultivation is concentrated exclusively in municipalities of the Cañada de Cuicatlán such as San Juan Bautista Cuicatlán, where it sustains the economy of small Cuicatec producers. SADER, INIFAP, CONABIO and Slow Food drive conservation and fair-trade projects for the chilhuacle, warning of the risk of genetic erosion. Oaxacan chefs and cooks such as Abigail Mendoza, Celia Florián and Alejandro Ruiz preserve it in their traditional and contemporary offerings. Its price in Oaxacan markets such as the Central de Abastos and the 20 de Noviembre is several times that of industrial chillies, making it a premium product reserved for festive dishes.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between chilhuacle amarillo and costeño amarillo?

Both are yellow Oaxacan dried chillies but they come from distinct varieties and different regions. The chilhuacle amarillo has a lantern shape, is low in heat (1,000-2,500 SHU) and is grown in the Cañada de Cuicatlán. The costeño amarillo is elongated and pointed, hotter (10,000-20,000 SHU) and grown in the Costa Chica. Both are combined in mole amarillo: the chilhuacle provides body and sweetness, the costeño the heat.

What does chilhuacle amarillo taste like?

It contributes a citrus, fruity flavour with notes of dried tropical fruit (dried mango, papaya), a herbal hint and a sweet touch. Its heat is low (1,000-2,500 Scoville units), one of the mildest dried chillies of Oaxaca. When toasted briefly it develops aromas of cooked fruit and honey that enrich mole amarillo and citrusy broths.

What is chilhuacle amarillo used for?

It is an essential ingredient of Oaxacan mole amarillo, one of the seven traditional moles, where it is combined with costeño amarillo, tomatillo, maize masa, hoja santa and cumin. It is also used in chichilo (a dark mole with charcoal), in traditional dishes and in some yellow salsas. Its golden colour visually defines mole amarillo, which is traditionally served with chicken, beef or pork and chochoyotes.

Where does chilhuacle amarillo come from?

It is endemic to the Cañada de Cuicatlán, in the north of Oaxaca. It is grown exclusively in municipalities such as San Juan Bautista Cuicatlán. The Cuicatec and Mazatec peoples have grown it for centuries as part of their traditional milpa. CONABIO recognises it as an endemic Mexican chilli at risk of genetic erosion, and together with SADER, INIFAP and Slow Food drives programmes to conserve its traditional seeds.