Chilaca

Description

Mexico’s long, dark chile — and one that changes its name when it dries. Fresh it is chilaca; dried it becomes pasilla, the “little raisin”, after the wrinkled skin. The pods are long and narrow, commonly 15–25 cm and only a couple of centimetres wide, usually with a twist along their length that disappears once they dry. They ripen from dark green to a very dark brown, almost black.

The flavour is rich and earthy rather than sweet, with a mild heat that sits well below a jalapeño — this is a chile you cook with for depth, not for burn. The walls are thin, so it is not a stuffer; it is a drying chile, and dried it becomes one of the pillars of Mexican cooking. Together with ancho and guajillo it forms the trio behind most classic mole, and it is essential to Oaxacan mole negro.

Fresh pods are excellent roasted and peeled into rajas, or blended into salsas. Tall, productive plants of 75–90 cm; give them a warm spot and a long season, as they are slow to colour up.

Some chilies are worth tasting before you grow them. → Explore the Vault

Each pack contains approximately 8–10 or more seeds per variety.
Seeds are packaged in a certified EU seed packaging facility in accordance with applicable regulations.

Categories: Chili Seeds , C. annuum , Mild , Easy to grow