The poblano is a large, mildly hot pepper from the Mexican state of Puebla. Fresh, it is stuffed and roasted; dried, it is called ancho and forms the base of mole sauce. A darker relative is the mulato.
| Species | Capsicum annuum |
|---|---|
| Heat | 1,000–2,000 SHU (University of Florida, NMSU); NDSU gives 2,500–3,000 SHU |
| Origin | Puebla, Mexico; a pre-Columbian pod type |
| Forms | poblano = fresh green, ancho = dried red, mulato = similar to ancho but brown at maturity |
| Flavour (ancho) | mild heat, sweet and smoky, with hints of dried fruit |
One pepper, three names
NMSU’s Chile Pepper Institute explains:
- Ancho is a pre-Columbian pod type from Mexico that matures to red; the name is used for the dried form.
- Mulato is similar to the ancho but brown at maturity.
- Poblano is what US produce markets call a fresh green ancho or mulato.
Mexican researchers writing in Revista Fitotecnia Mexicana describe the “Poblano” or “Mulato” chile as an important plant genetic resource of Puebla.
Ancho: the dried poblano
According to NMSU, ancho is a dried poblano with dark, wrinkled skin, reddish-brown to black. It has mild heat with sweet, smoky flavours and hints of dried fruit, is used ground or rehydrated in sauces, stews and marinades, and is a key ingredient of Mexican mole.
Puebla, mole and chiles en nogada
In Puebla the pepper has great culinary, economic and social importance as a basic ingredient of mole poblano and the famous chiles en nogada – stuffed poblanos with walnut sauce (nogada). Tradition credits nuns in Puebla with creating the dish in 1821; we have no reliable historical evidence for this, so take it as legend.
Puebla’s Tehuacán Valley holds some of the oldest evidence of chilli: according to archaeologist MacNeish, seeds were being selected for cultivation there perhaps as early as 7000 BC (see History of chilli).
Related
Jalapeño · Serrano · Padrón · Scoville scale
Sources
- NMSU Chile Pepper Institute: Chile terminology; Ancho (card)
- Rodríguez J. et al. (2007): Rescate in situ del chile ‘poblano’ en Puebla, México. Revista Fitotecnia Mexicana 30(1): 25–32. PDF
- UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Peppers by Scoville units
- NDSU Extension: From the Garden to the Table: Salsa!