Are these three different chilis, or just one, or
are there two varieties being described here?

A fresh poblano chili is often called a pasilla.
I'm guessing the right name is poblano.

On the other side, some dried pasilla chili powder that
I buy is labeled "Pasilla (Ancho)". Which is it?
Is it the same, or different as dried chili labeled
"Ancho"?

Finally, the "Pasilla (Ancho)" stuff is not nearly
as dark as packages of chili powder labeled mereley "Pasilla".

I am thankful this confusion has not extended to engulf
Chimayo, or New Mexico chili.

My last batch of chili had all of the above, plus
red Mexican cherry chilis which were very hot, and
which allowed me to use less of the powders than normal --
resulting in a fresher overall chili.

Steve

Steve Pope wrote:
> Are these three different chilis, or just one, or
> are there two varieties being described here?
>
> A fresh poblano chili is often called a pasilla.
> I'm guessing the right name is poblano.
>
> On the other side, some dried pasilla chili powder that
> I buy is labeled "Pasilla (Ancho)". Which is it?
> Is it the same, or different as dried chili labeled
> "Ancho"?
>
> Finally, the "Pasilla (Ancho)" stuff is not nearly
> as dark as packages of chili powder labeled mereley "Pasilla".
>
> I am thankful this confusion has not extended to engulf
> Chimayo, or New Mexico chili.
>
> My last batch of chili had all of the above, plus
> red Mexican cherry chilis which were very hot, and
> which allowed me to use less of the powders than normal --
> resulting in a fresher overall chili.
>
> Steve

Fresh:
chilaca =chile chilaca = pasilla chile pepper
Substitutes: poblano pepper

poblano pepper (fresh) = (incorrectly) ancho chile = (incorrectly)
pasilla pepper Pronunciation: puh-BLAH-noh Notes: These mild,
heart-shaped peppers are large and have very thick walls, which make
them great for stuffing. They're best in the summer. Substitutes:
Anaheim (Like poblanos, these are great for stuffing. Since they have a
tougher skin, you may want to char, steam, and peel them first.) OR bell
pepper (for stuffing, milder) OR canned chile peppers (preferably
fire-roasted) OR Serrano pepper (hotter)

Dried:
ancho chile pepper = (incorrectly) pasilla chile
Pronunciation: AHN-choh
Notes: These are dried poblano peppers, and very
commonly used in Mexican cuisine. They're brownish-black
and wrinkled. Substitutes: mulato (darker with
earthier, more pungent flavor) OR pasilla chile OR
California chile OR dried New Mexico chile peppers

pasilla chile = chile negro = pasilla negro
Pronunciation: puh-SEE-yuh
Notes: This is the dried version of the chilaca chile.
It's long, black, and wrinkled, and a standard ingredient
in mole sauces. Ancho chiles are sometimes mislabeled as
pasillas. Substitutes: ancho chile (sweeter) OR mulato chile
(stronger, earthier flavor)

Kate

PS - The Cook's thesaurus is your friend. Just google it.

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

On Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:56:40 +0000 (UTC),
(Steve Pope) wrote:

>Are these three different chilis, or just one, or
>are there two varieties being described here?
>
>A fresh poblano chili is often called a pasilla.
>I'm guessing the right name is poblano.
>
>On the other side, some dried pasilla chili powder that
>I buy is labeled "Pasilla (Ancho)". Which is it?
>Is it the same, or different as dried chili labeled
>"Ancho"?
>
>Finally, the "Pasilla (Ancho)" stuff is not nearly
>as dark as packages of chili powder labeled mereley "Pasilla".
>
>I am thankful this confusion has not extended to engulf
>Chimayo, or New Mexico chili.
>
>My last batch of chili had all of the above, plus
>red Mexican cherry chilis which were very hot, and
>which allowed me to use less of the powders than normal --
>resulting in a fresher overall chili.
>
Rick Bayless discusses this in one of his cookbooks. He calls it the
Michoacan nomenclature problem (or something like that). According to
Bayless, the good people of Michoacan use the word "pasilla" to refer
to a chile most others call a "poblano." And many of the Mexican
immigrants to California apparently come from that Michoacan. So
Californians have adopted the Michoacan word for a chile which is
elsewhere called a poblano.

Here in Texas, a poblano looks like this:
http://www.worldcrops.org/images/con...ield_-_550.JPG

And a pasilla (often called pasilla negra) looks like this:
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/images/pasilla.jpg

A dried poblano is an ancho. That's here, though. As long as people
know what you mean in your part of the world, things should work out
okay.

Now as to the midwesterners who call bell peppers mangoes, well they
must be stopped.

Steve Pope wrote:
> Are these three different chilis, or just one, or
> are there two varieties being described here?
>
> A fresh poblano chili is often called a pasilla.

I've only seen it called a pasilla in northern CA. Diana Kennedy confirms
that incorrect usage as well.

> I'm guessing the right name is poblano.

Correct.

> On the other side, some dried pasilla chili powder that
> I buy is labeled "Pasilla (Ancho)". Which is it?
> Is it the same, or different as dried chili labeled
> "Ancho"?

Ancho is dried poblano, nothing else. Perhaps this chile powder was made
in California?

> Finally, the "Pasilla (Ancho)" stuff is not nearly
> as dark as packages of chili powder labeled mereley "Pasilla".

Dried pasilla chiles are slightly darker then ancho.

-sw (Who made chilli yesterday)

"Sqwertz" > wrote
>
> Dried pasilla chiles are slightly darker then ancho.
>
> -sw (Who made chilli yesterday)

With the aid of swingline, microwaves, and hormel.

brooklyn1 > wrote:

> "Sqwertz" > wrote
>>
>> Dried pasilla chiles are slightly darker then ancho.
>>
>> -sw (Who made chilli yesterday)
>
> With the aid of swingline, microwaves, and hormel.

Uh, you're the Hormel guy - Mr, "I eat a can of SPAM every week"
TIAD.

All this time you've been bitching about other peoples TIAD you've
really been projecting your own. It does explain a lot.

-sw

On Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:08:22 -0600, Sqwertz wrote:

> brooklyn1 > wrote:
>
>> "Sqwertz" > wrote
>>>
>>> Dried pasilla chiles are slightly darker then ancho.
>>>
>>> -sw (Who made chilli yesterday)
>>
>> With the aid of swingline, microwaves, and hormel.
>
> Uh, you're the Hormel guy - Mr, "I eat a can of SPAM every week"
> TIAD.
>
> All this time you've been bitching about other peoples TIAD you've
> really been projecting your own. It does explain a lot.
>
> -sw

i can imagine a multi-disciplinary group of psychiatrists, anthropologists,
and exotic disease experts (specializing in feline vectors) spending a few
weeks observing sheldon and then committing group suicide.

your pal,
blake

modom (palindrome guy) > wrote:

>Rick Bayless discusses this in one of his cookbooks. He calls it the
>Michoacan nomenclature problem (or something like that). According to
>Bayless, the good people of Michoacan use the word "pasilla" to refer
>to a chile most others call a "poblano." And many of the Mexican
>immigrants to California apparently come from that Michoacan. So
>Californians have adopted the Michoacan word for a chile which is
>elsewhere called a poblano.

>Here in Texas, a poblano looks like this:
>http://www.worldcrops.org/images/con...ield_-_550.JPG

>And a pasilla (often called pasilla negra) looks like this:
>http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/images/pasilla.jpg

>A dried poblano is an ancho. That's here, though.

Thanks, this adds up.

My main disconnect is that what I think of as dried pasilla powder
is the true pasilla, not ancho, but ancho is often labeled pasilla
around here. But its easy to tell them apart from appearance.

>Now as to the midwesterners who call bell peppers mangoes, well they
>must be stopped.

Yikes.

Steve

Sqwertz > wrote:

>Steve Pope wrote:

>> On the other side, some dried pasilla chili powder that
>> I buy is labeled "Pasilla (Ancho)". Which is it?
>> Is it the same, or different as dried chili labeled
>> "Ancho"?

>Ancho is dried poblano, nothing else. Perhaps this chile powder was made
>in California?

I am guessing so.

>> Finally, the "Pasilla (Ancho)" stuff is not nearly
>> as dark as packages of chili powder labeled mereley "Pasilla".

>Dried pasilla chiles are slightly darker then ancho.

Right, thanks...

S.