Coming Soon - Mastering Mexican Salsas Course
We have an upcoming Mastering Mexican Salsas Course that we created with chef Juan Antonio Hussong. To get you ready here is a quick reference guide of the chiles that will be used in the course. You will learn how to prepare a total of 19 different salsas using the chiles in the reference guide. The knowledge of the chiles and the preparation skills learned will allow you to prepare a nearly infinite variety of salsas.
Fresh Chiles
Serrano Chile
A small, bright green chile that’s quite a bit hotter than a jalapeño, with a bright, sharp heat. It’s often used fresh in salsas, pico de gallo, and guacamole. Recipes that use serrano chile: uncooked salsa verde.
Jalapeńo Chile
A medium-sized green chile with moderate heat and a fresh, herbal flavor.
Poblano Chile
A large, dark green, heart-shaped chile with mild heat and a rich flavor. It is commonly roasted and stuffed for chiles rellenos or used in rajas con crema.
California Chile
A mild, long green chile (also called Anaheim) with minimal heat and a sweet taste. It is often roasted and used in sauces or stuffed.
Guero (Guerito) Chile
A pale yellow-green chile with mild to medium heat and a tangy, slightly fruity flavor. It is also known as the banana pepper.
Habanero Chile
A small round chile that’s extremely hot with an intense fruity flavor. It is most commonly used in Yucatecan cooking and salsas.
Dried Chiles
Árbol Chile
A small, slender dried red chile with searing heat and a mildly smoky flavor. It is used to season soups and stews or ground into salsas.
Cascabel Chile
A small, round dried Chile (“cascabel” means rattle) named for the seeds inside which make a rattling sound. It is moderately hot with a light smokiness which adds complexity to sauces and salsas.
Puya Chile
A dried chile similar to árbol but longer and thinner, with bright, fruity heat. It is used for its sharp, tangy flavor.
Guajillo Chile
A dried, smooth-skinned chile with mild to medium heat and a sweet, light raisiny flavor. One of the most common dried chiles in Mexican cooking used to make many different moles and adobos.
Ancho Chile
A dried poblano with a mild, sweet heat and deep, raisiny flavor. The most commonly used dried chile in Mexican cuisine. It is the base of a great number of moles and traditional sauces.
Pasilla Chile
A long, wrinkled dried Chile (a dried chilaca) with mild heat and a rich, complex flavor which has hints of raisins and chocolate. It is essential in mole negro and other dark sauces.
Morita Chile
A smoked and dried jalapeño that’s smaller and fruitier than the larger chipotle meco. It is moderate in heat and has a sweet, smoky flavor perfect for salsas and adobos.
Dried Chipotle Chile
A smoke-dried ripe jalapeño (usually the meco variety) with moderate heat and deep, earthy smokiness. It adds smoky depth to salsas, adobos, and many Mexican dishes.
