Are Poblano And Pasilla Peppers The Same Thing?

If you are confused about the various names for different types of chiles, you are not alone. After all, it's estimated that there are close to 4,000 varieties of chiles across the planet, with at least 64 domesticated and around 200 wild species in Mexico alone. Adding to the confusion is the fact that, in Mexico, chiles have different names and uses in their fresh, dried, or smoked form. For instance, mora and chipotle chiles are the dried and smoked versions, respectively, of the same fresh chile: the popular jalapeño. However, each has a different flavor profile and uses in the kitchen.

So, are poblano and pasilla the same pepper? Absolutely not. Yet, it seems that they are sometimes mislabeled at supermarkets, mistaking one for the other. First of all, they don't even look enough alike to warrant confusion. Poblanos are fresh chiles with waxy, dark green flesh and a wide, conical shape. Pasillas are long, dried chiles that are deep dark brown to almost black in color.

The confusion may arise from the fact that, when dried, chiles poblanos turn into chiles anchos, which look slightly similar to pasillas. It might be easy for the uninitiated produce employee to assume that a chile pasilla is the dried version of the poblano, but that is not the case. Let's explain both in depth so that you can avoid using the wrong chile in your recipes.

One of the most common fresh chiles in U.S. supermarkets next to jalapeños and serranos, poblanos are gorgeous dark green chiles that lean toward the medium-to-mild Scoville spectrum. Their firm flesh and wide shape make them perfect for stuffing, and are the preferred variety in Mexico for making chiles rellenos. In fact, one of the most iconic Mexican dishes are chiles en nogada, for which poblanos are filled with a fruity picadillo then topped with a fresh walnut cream sauce, pomegranate seeds, and chopped parsley. The red, white, and green colors are meant to honor the Mexican flag. As with many iconic dishes, a controversy reigns as to whether the chiles should be left naked or battered and fried before being covered in sauce.  

Poblanos are not usually eaten raw, although some recipes might call for dicing them small and mixing them with other ingredients to add a bit of crunch, such as in this potato poblano breakfast hash. The most common way of preparing chiles poblanos to use in recipes is to roast them, which can be done in a broiler, on the grill, or over an open flame. After they are cool enough to handle, they are carefully peeled and slit open to remove the seeds and core. They are then ready to stuff, but they can also be cut into strips called rajas which can be used in a wide variety of popular dishes in Mexican cuisine. Roasted chiles poblanos have a pleasantly smoky flavor that matches wonderfully with meat, seafood, and other vegetables like corn, squash, and mushrooms.

Chiles pasilla are the dried form of a lesser known fresh chile: chilaca, which is also green, waxy, and mild like a poblano, but narrow, long, and slightly curved. When dried, chiles pasilla turn a very dark brown, almost black; in fact, in some regions of Mexico they are known as chile negro, or black chile. The name pasilla means little raisin in Spanish, which speaks to its dark color, wrinkly appearance, and an earthy, sweet flavor that is intense and slightly piquant. They are a key ingredient in many moles, but are also used in table sauces, stews such as chile colorado, and as a garnish for tortilla soup when toasted and thinly sliced into strips.

As with all dried chiles, pasillas need to be cleaned and deseeded before using. The best way to do this is to split them open with kitchen shears, then shake out and scrape off the seeds. They are then lightly toasted (be careful, they will be bitter if they burn), then soaked in hot water and puréed with the rest of the ingredients, depending on the recipe.

Although the flavors are similar, chiles pasilla are different from chiles anchos, which is the dried version of a poblano. It is easy to tell them apart: Pasillas are longer, narrower, and darker. Anchos are wide (hence their name in Spanish) and their color tends toward a reddish brown. After all, they are made by drying ripe, red chiles poblanos. In many recipes, especially moles, both chiles pasilla and ancho are used as their flavors complement each other.