Cascabel Dried Chile Pepper, 50gm

Cascabel Chile (pronounced “kas-ka-bel”), Capsicum annuum, are also called cascabel pepper, cascabel chili, or chile cascabel.

Like many Mexican chiles these are known by a different name in their fresh state – bola, bolita, or boludo. The Cascabel is a plump, round, smooth and small chile that resembles the Cherry chile pepper. When mature they are about 1-1/2" in diameter. When dried, the color darkens to a deep reddish-brown with an almost transparent but thick skin. This chile pepper is also sometimes referred to as rattle chile on jingle bell chile which refers to both the shape of the chile as well as the sound the seeds make when a dried chile is shaken.

In traditional Mexican cuisine chefs and home cooks like to pair the Cascabel chile with other Mexican chiles such as ancho, pasilla, guajillo and de arbol to create complex flavor profiles. We like to roast these chiles on a hot skillet before using and then they can either be ground or rehydrated in warm water so they can then be made into a paste or a sauce.

To rehydrate, rinse these chiles off with warm water and then soak in hot water for 10 minutes. Once rehydrated, dice or puree and add to a recipe. You can also add directly to recipe with enough liquid that will cook at least 10 minutes.

The nutty taste of roasted Cascabel's pairs equally well with tomatoes or tomatillos. We also like to use these in casseroles, enchiladas, fajitas, salsas, sauces, soups, stews, tamales and tacos. One of our favorite recipes using Cascabel Chiles is Birria Stew.

Scoville heat rating (SHU) of 1,000 to 2,500