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Best North American Hot Pepper Types
Chipotle is a variety of a hot pepper that is basically a smoked and dried ripe jalapeño. The name of this hot pepper is derived from the Nahuatl word chilpoctli, which means smoked chile. Traditionally, chipotle is made in a sealed smokehouse.
Due to the fact that there are numerous types of jalapeños, not all chipotle peppers are alike. They are characterized by a medium heat level ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 on the Scoville scale. The most popular variety is called chipotle morita, characterized by its deep red color.
THE BEST Chipotle Hot Peppers
Scotch Bonnet is a hot pepper variety originating from Jamaica and the Caribbean area. These peppers usually come in red or yellow colors and they have four globular ridges at the bottom. They’re harvested in late season, about 80 to 90 days after transplanting.
The peppers are very hot, with a Scoville Heat Unit ranging from 100,000 to 350,000. They’re often used for chili powder, hot sauces, and jerk seasoning. The flavors are often described as having hints of cherries, tomatoes, and apples. The name of these peppers is derived from their visual resemblance to the Scottish Tam o’Shanter hat.
Guajillo is a traditional chili pepper variety, and one of the main producers of this variety is the state of Zacatecas. The guajillo is the dried form of mirasol chili pepper and its Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) ranges from 2,500 to 5,000. The skin is leathery and reddish brown, and the flavors are fruity and mild to moderately hot, with hints of green tea and berries.
Guajillos are often used to make salsas, moles, marinades, and spice rubs. The peppers pair well with chicken and fish dishes. Although they're usually sold whole, guajillos can also be toasted and ground into powder.
Named after the tip of the pepper that looks like a scorpion's tail and also its creator, Butch Taylor, Trinidad Scorpion Butch T is a famous hot pepper variety that has been rated at 1,463,700 Scoville Heat Units, making it one of the hottest chili peppers in the world.
It held the official title of The World's Hottest Pepper from 2011 until 2013, when the title was taken by the Carolina Reaper. This Trini hot pepper was discovered by Butch Taylor, who found an unusual variety in his patch of Trinidad Scorpion peppers.
Ancho is the dried version of ripe poblano chile peppers. The peppers are dried for preservation purposes, and when ground, they can be used in spice rubs, moles, soups, salsas, and enchilada sauces. In their dried form, the heart-shaped ancho chiles have a wrinkled skin and a deep red color, their flavor is smoky, sweet, and reminiscent of plums and raisins, while the heat level ranges from mild to medium.
Chile de árbol is a Mexican hot pepper which can be fresh, dried, or ground into a powder. It is characterized by an intense, bright red color and a heat level between 15,000 and 30,000 on the Scoville scale. This chile pepper is often used in salsas, stir-fries, hot sauces, and soups.
Its name means tree chili in Spanish, referring to the woody stems which are useful when making dried wreaths.
Jalapeño is a pepper with Mexican origins, but nowadays it's grown throughout the world due to its unique flavor and a mild level of heat, from 2,500 to 8,000 Scovilles. The name is Spanish for Jalapa or Xalapa, the capital of Veracruz, where these peppers were originally grown.
The peppers are thick-fleshed, and the color can be green or red, with the red variety being slightly milder and sweeter than the green one. The flavors are moderately hot, bright, and grassy. When roasted, the jalapeños become richer, earthy, and slightly smoky.
Poblano is a fresh hot pepper variety originating from Mexico. These peppers are dark green in color, and when fully ripe, the colors become dark red or brown. The flavors are mild, and the Scoville Heat Unit ranges from 1,000 to 2,000. Poblano peppers are usually roasted and peeled, then canned or frozen.
They can also be stuffed in order to make chiles rellenos. The most famous dish prepared with these peppers is probably chiles en nogada, which is especially popular on Mexican Independence Day as it incorporates green, white, and red ingredients.
The dried version of these mild peppers is known as Ancho pepper.
Puya is a Mexican chile pepper that is typically used in its dried form. It is characterized by a color that ranges from crimson red to purple, and a heat level that ranges from 5,000 to 8,000 on the Scoville scale. Puya chiles have a delicious fruity flavor with hints of anise and cherry, and they are usually used as a flavoring for mole sauces, chutneys, pizzas, burritos, soups, stews, salsas, and dips.
Pasilla chile (lit. little raisin) is a traditional hot pepper and the dried form of the chilaca pepper. It's also sometimes called pasilla bajio and has a heat range from 250 to 3,999 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Although most of the dried peppers are not very hot, some provide respectable heat to the dishes they're used in.
Pasillas are often used in mole sauce and various salsas. The flavor is earthy, smoky, and rich. The peppers are usually sold in their dried form, but they can also be ground into a powder. It's recommended to use pasillas with fruits, seafood, mushrooms, honey, lamb, duck, and garlic.
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