Which chili pepper is the dried form of the poblano?

The dried form of the poblano chili pepper is called an ancho, or chile ancho. The name ancho means “wide” in Spanish, describing the pepper’s broad, flattened shape after drying.

Poblanos are mild Capsicum annuum peppers that originated in Puebla, Mexico. They are often harvested green for dishes such as chiles rellenos, but when allowed to mature and then dried, they become dark, wrinkled ancho chiles. Anchos are typically mild, with a fruity, earthy flavor and gentle sweetness, making them important ingredients in adobo, mole, chili pastes, and sauces.

A common mix-up is pasilla. A true pasilla is the dried form of the long, narrow chilaca pepper, not the poblano. In the United States, however, some sellers incorrectly label dried poblanos as pasillas, which helps explain the confusion. Another related pepper is the mulato, a poblano type that is allowed to ripen to dark brown before drying and usually has a deeper, sweeter flavor.

Ancho powder is also widely used as a seasoning, adding color and dried-fruit depth without the intense heat of many other Mexican chiles.