Chile ancho: what it is, history and uses in Mexican cooking

What is it?

Chile ancho is the ripened and dehydrated chile poblano, one of the most-consumed dried chilli varieties in Mexico. It is recognised by its wide triangular shape, dark red colour tending to wine, and a wrinkled skin that becomes flexible once rehydrated. It belongs to the species Capsicum annuum and is grown mainly in Puebla, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosí. Its heat is low (1,000-2,000 Scoville units) and it stands out for sweet, fruity and slightly smoky notes, with hints of prune, coffee and chocolate. It appears in moles, adobos, red salsas, pipianes and stuffings, and is one of the most important dried chillies in everyday and festive Mexican cooking.

Origin and history

The chile poblano from which the ancho comes was domesticated in Mesoamerica more than 6,000 years ago. Colonial sources such as Fray Bernardino de Sahagún's Florentine Codex already describe the use of various dried chillies in Mexica cuisine, where they were ground in a metate to prepare primitive moles. After the Conquest, sun-drying remained the main way to preserve the poblano for use throughout the year, since the fresh harvest is seasonal. In the Bajío and the Pueblan area, the practice of drying ripe red fruits to obtain the ancho consolidated, distinct from the mulato (darker) coming from the same plant. Larousse Cocina places the ancho as the most-used dried chilli in Mexican homes, and SADER includes it among the country's emblematic chillies. Today it is a key component of the seventeenth-century mole poblano and of traditional adobos of central and northern Mexico.

Characteristic ingredients

When fresh poblano ripens and turns intense red, it is harvested and sun-dried for several days until it loses moisture and acquires a dark red colour. The skin becomes wrinkled but flexible, and if broken it smells of dried fruit. It should not be confused with chile mulato, which comes from a genetically distinct variety of the same poblano and is darker and more chocolatey. The ancho measures between 8 and 12 cm long and 5-7 cm at the base. Before using, the chillies are de-veined and de-seeded, lightly toasted on a comal -without burning them to avoid bitterness- and rehydrated in hot water for 15-20 minutes. The pulp is then blended with broth, spices or tomato. Its low heat (1,000-2,000 SHU) allows it to provide body, colour and sweetness without aggressiveness, which is why it is the base of moles where it is combined with guajillo, pasilla, mulato and chipotle.

Cultural significance

Chile ancho is one of the pillars of Mexican cuisine recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2010. Without it, mole poblano would not exist, an emblematic dish at festivities such as the Day of the Dead, weddings and christenings in Puebla, Tlaxcala and central Mexico. It generates significant economic activity: according to SADER and SIAP, Mexico is the world's leading producer of dried chillies, with Zacatecas and Aguascalientes leading the production of anchos. In traditional markets (La Merced in Mexico City, El Parián in Puebla) chile ancho is sold loose and by the kilo, and family producers still dry it in the sun. Its use unites regions as diverse as central Mexico, the Bajío and the north, where it appears in adobos for carnitas, wedding stews and traditional birrias. It is, alongside guajillo, the dried chilli most exported to the United States.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between chile ancho and chile mulato?

Both come from dried chile poblano, but the ancho derives from a variety that on drying acquires a dark red colour and a fruity flavour of prune, while the mulato comes from a genetically distinct variety of the same poblano and is darker, almost black, with chocolate and coffee notes. They are distinguished against the light: the ancho lets reddish light pass through and the mulato is opaque.

What does chile ancho taste like?

It provides a sweet and fruity flavour, with notes of prune, raisin, mild tobacco, coffee and bitter chocolate. Its heat is very low (1,000-2,000 Scoville units), below jalapeño, which allows it to be used in large quantities without overpowering. When lightly toasted it develops smoky aromas and caramelised sweetness.

How is chile ancho prepared?

It is de-veined and de-seeded, briefly toasted on a hot comal without burning, and rehydrated in hot water for between 15 and 20 minutes until flexible. It is then blended with broth, garlic, tomato or spices to form the base of moles, adobos, pipianes and red salsas. It can also be stuffed cold, as in the recipe for chiles anchos stuffed.

Where does chile ancho originate?

The poblano from which it comes originates from the state of Puebla, in central Mexico, where it has been cultivated since pre-Hispanic times. Today production of ancho is concentrated in Puebla, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosí. It is one of the most representative chillies of the Mexican Altiplano and the base of traditional moles and adobos of central Mexico.