CHILE PEPPERS

Want to turn the heat up in the kitchen? Spice Islands can help you do just that by adding the zing of chile peppers to any recipe. Spice Islands offers an array of Mexican chillies including ancho, chipotle and pasilla.

To compare the relative heat of chile peppers, the Scoville scale assigns a number between 0 and 300,000 heat units. Each unit represents the amount of “hotness” a person would experience when consuming a chile or chile product. The higher the number, the hotter the pepper.

For a quick reference, sweet bell peppers are rated 0 because you experience no heat when consuming them. On the other hand, cayenne pepper is rated at 30,000 -50,000 Scoville units, while habanero peppers, considered to be among the hottest, have a rating of around 160,000 - 200,000.

ANCHO

If you’re looking to add just a kick of interest to a meal, try ancho chile. It has a sweet, fruity yet slightly hot bite. On the Scoville scale, ancho chile comes in at a 1,000 - 2,000 heat unit rating.

CHIPOTLE

The chipotle isn’t a variety of chile in itself; rather, it’s actually a jalapeno pepper that has been ripened until red and then smoke-dried. Chipotle peppers have the same intense kick as jalapenos but offer a unique flavor that is deep and smoky. Chipotle’s heat rating ranges from 17,000 - 37,000. The more you add to your recipe, the stronger the flavor.

PASILLA

To give a recipe a different flavor, try adding pasilla chile into the mix. Its earthy, long-lasting flavor spices up a meal with a heat rating of 1,000 - 2,000.

CHILI POWDER

Also, look for Spice Islands chili powder. It’s a complete seasoning that contains roasted chillies and other spices. It complements not only chili, but other Latin dishes as well.

TRY IT WITH…
Salsa
Omelets
Tacos
Seafood