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Ancho Chiles (pronounced "AHN CHo"), Capsicum Annuum, are also referred to as chile ancho, ancho chili, and ancho pepper. Known as Poblano chiles when in their fresh state, this mild chile is native to the Mexican State of Puebla. In their native region when dried they are called chile ancho which translates to "wide chile". The dried Ancho chile has a more intense flavor profile than the poblano and has been a key ingredient in Puebla cuisine for thousands of years. Ancho Chiles are the most commonly used dried chile in Mexican cuisine and are one of the famous "holy trinity" of chiles used in Mexican moles, along with the Pasilla Negro Chiles and the Guajillo Chiles. This heart shaped dried pepper is about 3" wide and 4" in length and tapers to a point. They are a deep, reddish brown to black in color and the texture is wrinkled. A top grade Ancho should be clean, pliable, untorn and aromatic with a smell that is a bit like prunes. The staple chile in authentic Mexican cooking, Ancho peppers are a critical ingredient in red chili, tamales, many moles, enchiladas, salsa, soups and any sauce that may need some extra mild heat. You can add them directly to your recipes - sliced, diced or pureed. The whole dried pod can be ground in a blender (with or without the seeds, depending on your heat and flavor preferences). For more flavor, lightly toast Ancho Chiles in a hot pan for about 30 seconds per side, just until they start to blister. They can easily be re-hydrated by pouring hot water or broth over them and letting them sit for 10-20 minutes. Don't let them soak much longer than that, as they may become bitter. A puree of soaked Ancho chiles will be reddish brown in color with a rich, mild, almost sweet taste and slightly bitter undertones. We like to save the liquid from rehydrating as it absorbs the great flavor from the softened chiles. Use the liquid in the recipe at hand, or save it to lend flavor depth to braises, soups and stews. Per ounce, Ancho chile provides more pulp than most dried chiles. The heat of the chile comes from the veins inside the pod and before rehydrating some cooks prefer to remove some or most of the seeds and veins as these lend more bitterness to the finished recipe. Scoville heat rating (SHU) of 500 to 1,500

The Chile de Arbol (Spanish for tree chili) is a small, but very potent Mexican chili pepper which is also known as bird's beak chile. The chile de Arbol is very hot, and is related to cayenne pepper. Small and plenty hot, Chile de Arbol can also be used to decorate wreaths in its dried form. Arbol chiles are found in numerous Chinese, Mexican, Southeast Asian and Southwestern dishes. Their intense heat lends them to applications where they are an accent rather than a main ingredient. The flavor of De Arbol chiles is considered superior to other chile peppers by many competition chili cooks and is considered a staple in many southwestern US kitchens. We like to use it in place of cayenne as the heat levels are similar but the De Arbol chile is much more flavorful than the cayenne which is light on flavor. We like to dry toast Arbol Chiles on a hot skillet and then toss in the blender with tomatillos, onion, roasted garlic, lime, a little salt and a little water for a flavorful quick green table salsa. They can be used to make a pepper mash for a hot sauce base by fermenting three parts vinegar to one part dried chile for several weeks. Add the crushed or whole chiles to pickle brines and Escabeches (fish marinated and cooked in an acidic mixture -- usually vinegar) for a concentrated spicy heat. We like to use Arbol chiles in marinades, soups and of course in salsas and hot sauces. Arbol Chile's long thin size, heat and flavor makes it an ideal chile in infusions. We've had customers use them to infuse honey, olive oil, tea, vinegar and even vodka. They can also be used to add a spicy kick as a garnish and can be added to homemade lemonade and margaritas. Scoville heat rating (SHU) of 15,000 - 30,000