What's the difference between CHILI powder and CHILE powder? A major one -- chili powder has been adulterated with spices such as oregano & cumin, while chile powder is pure, ground from any number of varieties of chiles. Chili powder is not as spicy as chile powder and is primarily used as a flavoring for homemade chili.

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.

Product Basics:

• Great for making sauces, moles, soups & stews.
• Also works well as a rub for meats, fish or vegetables.
• 2.5 oz. (approx. 1/2 cup) of ancho chile powder.
• Packaged in a glass spice jar.

Chipotle Chile Powder: The chipotle is a large, dried, smoked jalapenos. Chipotles are dull tan to a coffee brown in color. This chile measures about 2 to 4 inches long and about 1 inch across. These chiles are smoky and sweet in flavor, with a subtle, deep, rounded heat. Chipotles are widely used in Mexican and Southwestern cooking.

Probably the best known chile in North America, it is the most popular. The jalapeno originated in Mexico and was named for the city of Jalapa in the state of Veracruz. Smoked chiles (chiles ahumados, now called chipotle) were noted in Mexican markets in the sixteenth century, so jalapenos, the chiles most commonly smoked, probably had pre-Columbian origins. These chiles are smoked, in an oven similar to a Chinese oven, because the flesh is too thick to air-dry satisfactorily. The jalapeno was the first pepper to be taken - smuggled, actually - into outer space on board the COLUMBIA. Chipotles are a lot hotter than fresh jalapenos because the amount of capsaicin always increases with maturity.

Most jalapenos measure between 2,500 and 5,000 Scoville Units, placing it at 5 on the Heat Scale.

Product Basics:

• Use for soups, salsas & sauces.
• Great for making marinades & dressings
• 2.5 oz. (approx. 1/2 cup) of chipotle chile powder.
• Packaged in a glass spice jar.

Guajillo Chile Powder: Guajillos are shiny, deep orange-red with brown tones, elongated, tapering to a point and sometimes slightly curved. This chile is 4 to 6 inches long and 1 to 1� inches wide. It will add a sweet flavor with hints of berry to your recipes. Guajillos are commonly used in salsas, chile sauces, soups and stews.

The guajillo chile is the most widely used pepper in Mexico. Its flavor is very distinctive and the vibrant hues of the peppers color the dishes they are used in. The guajillo is sometimes mistaken for a cascabel because of the rattling sound its seeds make when it's shaken. The cascabel is round-ish though so the shape differentiates them.

Guajillos are placed at 5 on the Heat Scale.  

Product Basics:

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

Habanero Chile Powder: Habaneros are yellow-orange in color and lantern-shaped. This chile measures about 2 inches long and 1� to 1� inches in diameter.

It has a distinctive flavor with tropical fruit tones that mix well with dishes containing tropical fruits or tomatoes. The habanero is a great complement to salsas, chutneys, marinades, stir-frys, soups and even pizza!

In Spanish, the word habanero means Havana-like, or possibly from Havana, referring to Havana, Cuba as a possible origin for the pod. It is the only chile growing in the Yucatan Peninsula that has no Mayan name. This has led to speculation that the chile was imported there from Cuba; however, this chile pepper is now rare in Cuba. About 1,500 tons of habaneros are now harvested each year in the Yucatan. They are also grown to a lesser extent in Belize, Costa Rica, Texas and California.

These are the hottest chiles in the world, measuring between 200,000 and 300,000 Scoville Units. It registers a 10 on the Heat Scale. It has been estimated that the habanero is 30 to 50 times hotter than the jalapeno - it can have an irritating effect in the mouth and on the fingers.

Product Basics:

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

New Mexico Chile Powder, bulk: One must always remember that within New Mexico chiles reign supreme. They are discussed as seriously as the most expensive wines among connoisseurs. The powders from these dried chiles are claimed to be the best in the world. Brilliant red ristras of dried chiles are a symbol of New Mexican culture. New Mexican chiles are in everything including salsas, soups, stews, sauces, vegetables, casseroles and dressings.

For nearly a century, confusion has reigned over the proper name for the long green varieties of chiles that turn a brilliant New Mexican red in the fall. It is believed that this chile was originally brought from Mexico to New Mexico around 1597. Almost 300 years later, a rancher from California took some seeds from New Mexico to Oxnard and started growing the first cultivar, known as the Anaheim. It was named for the city he later built a pepper cannery in. Since few chiles are grown near Anaheim these days, chile experts at New Mexico State University have decided to use a more accurate descriptive term for chile variety: New Mexican.

New Mexican varieties vary between 1 and 6 on the Heat Scale, which means that their Scoville Units range between 100 and 10,000.

Product Basics:

• New Mexican chiles are in everything including salsas, soups, stews, sauces, vegetables, casseroles and dressings.
• Hot ranges between 5 to 6 on the Heat Scale. Mild ranges between 2 to 3 on the Heat Scale.
• One pound of New Mexico chile powder.
• Packaged in zip-lock bags.