Ancho Chile Powder

The ancho is a dried poblano chile and is the most commonly used dried chile in Mexico. In Spanish, ancho means wide. This chile is wrinkled, wide, flat and tapers to a round end. The ancho is brick red to dark mahogany, with an orange-red tint when held up to the light. It is the sweetest of the dried chiles. The ancho will add a sweet plum/raisin-like flavor to dishes. It is most commonly used for making sauces, moles, soups and stews. The ancho also works great as a rub for meats, fish or vegetables.

Poblano (people) is descriptive of the Valley of Pueblo in Mexico. This is where large-scale production of these chiles may have first begun. The earliest poblano forms were probably cultivated in pre-Columbian times. The poblano dries as two different but similar chiles - anchos & mulatos. Nearly all US grown poblano chiles are dried.

Poblanos are a relatively mild chile, varying between 1,000 and 1,500 Scoville Units, which places them at a level of 3 on the Heat Scale.

Why folks love Ancho Chile Powder:

• A must-have for every gourmet kitchen.
• A necessity for every chile-head!
• Great for making sauces, moles, soups & stews.
• Also works well as a rub for meats, fish or vegetables.

Product Basics:

• 2.5 oz. (approx. 1/2 cup) of ancho chile powder.
• Packaged in a glass spice jar.

Check out the ancho chile powder recipes we have online!

• Patrick's Secret Chili #4
• The Osopidillo Cafe Chile Rellenos

If you have any ancho chile powder recipes that you'd like to share, please send them in. We (and our viewers) would appreciate it!