Chili Pepper Identification

[shelora]

Going through my stash of chilies, I have noticed some discrepancies and I'm hoping someone can help.

Okay, I've got two different bags of chile puya. One is dark red, smooth surfaced and the other is light red to orange with more of a bumpy texture to the skin. it almost looks like a chile costeno. The first one is prepackaged from El Guapo, the second from a market in Mexico. Are they both chile puya or if not, will the real chile puya please stand up.

This brings me to the other problem. I have chile costeno and chile costeno rojo. Then there is chile amarillo. Now, I know for a fact that the chile amarillo is hotter than the costenos. All three are of the same size and texture, except of course, the amarillo is light orange.

I know that I must keep better record keeping when I buy chiles but I find chile identification very confusing.

For example, I thought chile ancho was available only in three grades; primera (big and fat), segunda (mama bear) and terceira (whatever is left over). But oh no, chile ancho is available in negro and oscuro. Then to confuse matters even more, chile ancho is also known as chile tenir in other parts of Mexico.

Is it just me? Say it ain't so!

S

[Gifted Gourmet]

Chiles: identifying and classifying them

[shelora]

yes, yes, and, and........

[andiesenji]

chile ancho is available in negro and oscuro. Then to confuse matters even more, chile ancho is also known as chile tenir in other parts of Mexico.

Is it just me? Say it ain't so!

S

And to confuse things even further, when fresh, chile Ancho is known as chile Poblano. This is of course, the favorite chile for chiles rellenos.

I grow several varieties of chile and this occurs in other types of chiles. They have a different name when dried. Chipotle is not the name of a chile, it is the familiar Jalapeño allowed to ripen until fully red then smoked and dried.

There are nine varieties of Chile Puya, most with similar characteristics.

Puya alpestris

Puya berteroniana

Puya boliviensis

Puya chilensis

Puya coerulea

Puya coerulea intermedia

Puya coerulea monteroana

Puya coerulea violacea

Puya venusta

It depends on the vendors as to how they are identified. Some do add the type but most do not.

The most common is puya chilensis, and venusta.

Often they are identified as chile Guajillo, but the latter are milder. Sometimes they are called pulla but of course it is pronounced the same. The color can vary from dark read to pale orange to violet.

The only dried chiles I see in the Mexican market here are Chiles Japones - they are similar to Chile Arbol and have about the same heat as Arbol and Puya.

Even serious chile scholars argue about the identification of some chiles so don't feel bad if you have a problem. One particular chile was mis-identified for many years until they finally were able to establish the DNA and found that it was a sport related to a pepper that looked entirely different in shape, different growth habits, different leaf shape, different flower. It had long been classified an "inedible ornamental" pepper. However it is edible, medium hot and looks good and grows in containers and is evergrowing, everbearing as long as it doesn't freeze.

You can always check in at the Chile-Heads list. Some of the most knowledgeable pepper people on the planet are on the list and always active. The guys who wrote the books are on the list.

[theabroma]

The ancho oscuro is likely a chile mulato - basically originally a poblano, with some slightly different expression of the color genes - it is a rich tobaccoy brown rather than the deep ruby wine red of an ancho.

Since chiles are air pollinators, who knows? But it sounds like a puya, a subvariety of a puya.

The chile amarillo is likey a chilcoztli, coztli meaning 'yellow' in Nahuatl.

I know what you mean. I've got BAGS of chiles from Mx markets that have not been well marked. I probably should just grow them out and then try to figure from there.

There's a British guy named Graham Casleton who has a stunning web site of photos of hundreds of chiles. That would be a help.

Theabroma

[andiesenji]

There's a British guy named Graham Casleton who has a stunning web site of photos of hundreds of chiles.  That would be a help.

Theabroma

Here is the link to Graeme's website-the pages on the website that has the photos of the peppers.

http://www.g6csy.net/chile/database.html

Edited May 31, 2004 by andiesenji (log)

[shelora]

Many thanks for you both. I have some serious research on my hands.

Well that is interesting about the oscuro/mulato chilies. And the amarillo/chilcotzli.

I'm off to see Casleton's website.

Hasta pronto,

Shelora

[MoGa]

I bought a pack of dried chillies on Saturday but have looked without success for information about them.

They look exactly like this:

although some are squatter/rounder

And most of them are 4-5cms long.

They smell rich and wonderful, almost smoky

The packet says:

千辣椒

Dried Chilli 100%

Manufacturer: SICHUAN GAO FU JI FOOD CO LTD

XINMING INDUSTRIAL PARK OF PIXIAN, CHENGDU

---

If anyone can tell me anything about them, or suggest some uses, I'd be very grateful. When I've found information about chillis used in Sichuan cooking, the chillis described tend to be longer and thinner. I'd love to know what kind these actually are.

[MoGa]

Turns out the answer is here all along.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=29037

I search for hours, work out how to get 100 chillis into Chinese font, and after I request assistance - poof! I stumble on the right combination in my search (I excuse myself as there are so many alternatives in spelling Sichuan AND Chilli)

[Prawncrackers]

Sometimes it is the journey that is important grasshopper!

[djyee100]

I bought these chiles at the farmers mkt. My conversation with the seller went like this:

"What kind of chiles are these?"

"Medium sweet chiles."

"They're not hot?"

"They're hot."

"Are they Thai chiles?"

"No, but you can use them like Thai chiles."

"How hot are they compared to Thai chiles?"

"They're hotter than jalapenos."

The chiles are yellow, orange, and red, about 1" to 1 1/2" long at most. I always thought any chiles this small were Thai chiles, but I guess not. Can you identify these chiles?

[Jon Savage]

They certainly look like Thai Peppers to me.

Bird's Eye Chiles

Maybe Thai ornamental further down the page linked to above since those in your pic appear to be growing upward.

Edited July 28, 2008 by 6ppc (log)

[Lilija]

I'm growing them in my garden as we speak, and the little tag says "Thai Dragon".

I grow em every year, they're one of my favorite kinds, they're hardy, hot, flavorful, they dry very well, and the plants are just gorgeous.

[John S.]

The chiles are yellow, orange, and red, about 1" to 1 1/2" long at most. I always thought any chiles this small were Thai chiles, but I guess not. Can you identify these chiles?

←

They are not Thai chiles -- too wide and not a bit curly. They are c. annuum but it's hard to tell exactly which variey. There are hundreds of varieties in all 5 species. They look like serrano, but it appears from the photo that these pods grow upright rather than pendant. Serranos are pendant.

I would ask Jeannie at chileplants.com or Jim at wildpepper.com.

John S.

[snowangel]

There are so many varieties of peppers! I think trying to identify without more knowledge -- how tall were the plants; what did the flowers look like, etc. make it so difficult.

And, to classify one type of pepper -- be they "Thai" or "Jalapeño" peppers does not do them justice as there are many, many types of both of these peppers.

In any case, use them as appropriate. Be it in a nam prik, on larb, in a salsa, or on nachos, be glad that you have them! Things here in MN are ripening so slowly we're hoping for a ripe tomoto before the first frost. My bachelor buttons have just begun to bloom!

[Talat_kas]

These looks like traditional south asian chilies which are varying in color like red and green are the most common. I also planted the green chilies (large and small), these are very hot and spicy and frequently used in various dishes and salads.

Edited July 28, 2008 by Talat_kas (log)

[Shelby]

My Thai chilies are thinner, longer and have more of a curl to them.....

[Lilija]

I was out picking stuff out of my garden earlier, and staring hard at my Thai Dragon plants. My peppers are a little longer, and more slender, but they are *so* close.

[rancho_gordo]

I wonder if they aren't De Arbol chiles from the way the chile is growing upwards, like a tree. They normally are longer and thinner and used dried.

Do they taste good?

[djyee100]

I took John S.'s suggestion, and emailed Jim at http://www.wildpepper.com/ and Janie at http://www.chileplants.com/. Both people graciously answered my emails.

Jim at http://www.wildpepper.com/ said:

"I have at least a couple of guesses, but none are likely to be definitive. Part of the problem with chiles is that there are several thousand kinds and many resemble each other. They could be a Thai chile...Just call them 'bird chiles'- that covers about a thousand kinds ;-) "

But Janie at http://www.chileplants.com/ hit the jackpot. She said:

"Looks like Nepali Orange

http://www.chileplants.com/search.asp?ProductCode=CHINEO "

I think she's right. The chiles look just like that and fit the physical description that's given.

So these are Indian chiles brought to Fiji by migrants! I cooked them in Thai Basil Chicken the other night. The chiles are very tasty, a tad less hot than Thai bird chiles, and more fruity, too. I'd definitely cook with them again. In fact, the next time I visit the farmers mkt I will search out the stand and buy another bunch of these chiles.

This website has pix of the Nepali Orange chile in various stages of growth, with a pic of the plant in full fruit near the bottom of the webpage (next to Sept 14 entry). http://www.chillisgalore.co.uk/pages/growing2006.html

Thanks for your comments and answers, everyone!

[tino27]

Caveat: I'm sorry, but my digital camera is on the blitz. As soon as I can get a photo, I'll post one on-line.

My neighbor gave me a basket of goodies from her garden and amongst them was appears to be a chili pepper. It is a bright orange-red and is about the size of a habanero. However, it also has these "wings" or "petals" (3 of them) that come out of the side of the pepper and point upwards towards the tip.

My neighbor had no idea what it was other than she said when she nibbled just the outer flesh, it was sweet, but when she got to the veins and seeds, it was very spicy.

I've looked up photos of habaneros and scotch bonnets and other than the size and color matching, nothing had these "wings".

Any thoughts on what I might have in my possession? Could I have a habanero with a natural mutation to it?

Feel free to post any links to photos you find on the web as that may help narrow down the pepper.

Also, other than using them in cooking right now, any thoughts on what my friend could do to preserve all of these chili peppers (she has a ton of them)? I thought about pepper jelly, but wasn't sure if there might be other options, too.

Thanks!!

[andiesenji]

What color are the seeds?

[tino27]

I didn't want to cut into the only one that my friend gave me (in case I get that camera working again), but I just called and asked my neighbor and she said that the seeds were white.

Does that help?

[azureus]

There is a pepper called Capsicum baccatum "Bishop's Crown" which resembles your description. It's listed as being fairly mild. If your's is hotter, it's probably the same species of pepper, but a different variety. Here's a link to a photo: Bishop's Crown. Habanero peppers are actually a different species, and are wrinkled rather than winged.

April

[lperry]

That's it. Also called cambuci or chapéu de frade (bishop's hat). I've grown these and they had the same sweet flesh and hot veins and placenta. Here's another link.