Pasilla chilli: what it is, heat, uses and substitutes

What is it?

Chile pasilla is the dehydrated chilaca chilli, one of the darkest and most aromatic dried varieties of Mexican cooking. It is long and thin, measures between 15 and 20 cm, has wrinkled skin and a very dark brown, almost black colour with purple reflections. Hence its name, derived from 'pasa' (raisin) for its resemblance to the dried grape. It is grown above all in Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas and Jalisco. Its heat is low to moderate (1000-2500 Scoville units) and it adds a herbal, smoky flavour and a slight bitter-chocolate sweetness. It is used to make black mole, salsa borracha, pasilla salsa, adobos for pork and dark pipianes, among other dishes.

Origin and history

The chilaca chilli, fresh and long, was already known in Mesoamerica and was grown in the centre and west of present-day Mexico. The colonial sources mention it as one of the everyday chillies of the Bajio. When dehydrated, the pasilla was obtained, which became popular between the 17th and 18th centuries as an ingredient of regional moles of the centre, Michoacan and Oaxaca. In some regions it is also known as chile negro or chile achocolatado, which has caused confusion with the chilhuacle negro. Larousse Cocina and the Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Mexican Gastronomy by Ricardo Munoz Zurita identify it as a key ingredient of Bajio cooking. SADER includes it among the traditional dried chillies of Mexico. Today it is still produced artisanally on small family plots of the Bajio and dried in the sun on patios or rooftops.

Characteristic ingredients

Chile pasilla is obtained by sun-drying the chilaca chilli for several days once it has fully ripened and acquired a dark red tone. When dried, its skin wrinkles and becomes almost black with purple reflections, retaining a certain flexibility. It should not be confused with the Oaxacan pasilla chilli, which is a distinct smoked chilli, nor with the chilhuacle negro of Oaxaca. The pasilla measures between 15 and 20 cm long and 2-3 cm wide. Before use it is deveined, deseeded and lightly toasted on a comal, being careful not to burn it to avoid bitterness. It is then hydrated in hot water for 10-15 minutes and blended. Its heat is low (1000-2500 SHU) and it adds a herbal flavour with smoky hints and a bitter-chocolate sweetness. It is combined with ancho, mulato and guajillo for black and poblano mole, and with tomato for salsa borracha and pasilla salsa.

Cultural significance

Chile pasilla is part of the repertoire of traditional Mexican cuisine inscribed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is indispensable in classic mole poblano and in Oaxacan black moles, where it adds the characteristic dark colour and deep flavour. Salsa borracha, made with pasilla, pulque and aged cheese, is one of the traditional accompaniments to the mutton barbacoa of Hidalgo and the State of Mexico, especially at family festivities and ranch weddings. In the Bajio, Guanajuato is one of the main producers and chile pasilla is sold in the regional markets in bunches. Its artisanal production generates rural employment in small farming communities. For Mexican gastronomy, alongside the ancho, mulato and guajillo, it makes up the classic quartet of dried chillies of central Mexico.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between chile pasilla and Oaxacan chile pasilla?

The common pasilla is the sun-dried chilaca chilli, native to the Bajio, dark, herbal and not very spicy (1000-2500 SHU). The Oaxacan pasilla is a completely different chilli: it is a smoked chilli grown in the Sierra Mixe of Oaxaca with a smoky flavour and greater heat (8000-15000 SHU). Although they share a name, they are not interchangeable in traditional recipes.

What does chile pasilla taste like?

It adds a deep, herbal and slightly smoky flavour, with notes of raisin, bitter chocolate, coffee and tobacco. Its heat is low to moderate (1000-2500 Scoville units), similar to chile ancho. When lightly toasted on a comal it develops sweet aromas of caramel and toasted cacao that enrich moles and dark salsas.

How is chile pasilla used?

It is deveined, deseeded, lightly toasted and hydrated in hot water for about 15 minutes. It is then blended with broth, garlic, tomato or tomatillo and spices. It is the base of black mole poblano and Oaxacan mole, salsa borracha, pasilla salsa with aged cheese, adobos for pork and dark pipianes. It is also served toasted in flakes over dishes such as tortilla soup.

Where does chile pasilla come from?

The chilaca chilli from which it comes is native to central Mexico, especially the Bajio and the west. Today the main producing area of dried pasilla is Guanajuato, along with Aguascalientes, Zacatecas and Jalisco. It is one of the most representative chillies of the cooking of the Bajio and the central Altiplano, both in everyday preparations and in festive moles.