Mulato chilli: what it is, heat and how it differs from ancho

What is it?

The mulato chilli is a variety of dried poblano chilli, considered one of the essential dried chillies in Mexican cuisine. It comes from different plants to those of the ancho, although both are dehydrated poblanos. It has a triangular shape, measures between 10 and 14 cm, has wrinkled skin and a dark brown, almost black colour with chocolate tones. It is grown above all in Puebla, Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí. It provides a fruity, sweet and chocolatey flavour, with a mild heat (2,500-3,000 Scoville units). It is a key ingredient in classic mole poblano alongside ancho, pasilla and chipotle, and also appears in Oaxacan moles, mole de olla, adobos and dark salsas of traditional Mexican cuisine.

Origin and history

The mulato and the ancho are the two ways in which the poblano is dehydrated: both were domesticated in Mesoamerica thousands of years ago. The codices of New Spain mention that in Puebla and the Altiplano ripe chillies were dried to make dark salsas and festive stews. The difference between ancho and mulato comes from a genetic mutation in the poblano that affects how the pigments transform as it ripens: the mulato retains a greater proportion of dark pigments and develops notes of chocolate and coffee as it dries. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún describes various dried chilli varieties used by the Mexica in the Florentine Codex, ancestors of the chillies we distinguish today. Mole poblano, described by Sor Andrea de la Asunción and by the colonial Puebla chronicles of the 17th century, established the use of the mulato as one of the three base chillies, alongside the ancho and the pasilla.

Characteristic ingredients

The mulato derives from a genetically distinct variety of the poblano chilli. As it ripens it takes on a very dark red, and as it dries in the sun over several days it develops an almost black colour with brown highlights and a wrinkled, flexible skin. To distinguish it from the ancho, hold it up to the light: the ancho lets reddish light through, while the mulato is opaque. Its dimensions are similar to the ancho (8-14 cm) and it is prepared in the same way: it is deseeded, deveined, lightly toasted on a comal (taking care not to burn it, which turns the whole sauce bitter) and rehydrated in hot water for about 15 minutes. Its flavour is reminiscent of cocoa, raisins and coffee, with a very low heat (2,500-3,000 Scoville units). In Puebla cuisine it is mixed with ancho (which provides sweet body) and pasilla (which provides a herbal flavour), forming the classic trio of mole poblano. It pairs very well with chocolate, almonds, sesame, tomato and sweet spices.

Cultural significance

The mulato chilli is a symbol of Puebla cuisine and of Mexico's ceremonial moles. Without it neither mole poblano nor several dark Oaxacan moles would exist, dishes essential to festivities such as Independence, patron saints' days, weddings and christenings. Traditional Mexican cuisine, at the centre of which lie the moles, has been inscribed as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO since 2010. The mulato is sold in markets such as El Parián in Puebla, La Merced in Mexico City and Abastos in Oaxaca, where the traders teach cooks to tell it apart from the ancho by colour and opacity. SADER includes it among the emblematic dried chillies of Mexico. Its production, concentrated in small family plots in Puebla and Zacatecas, keeps alive an agricultural and gastronomic tradition of pre-Hispanic origin.

Frequently asked questions