The chiles › Chile de árbol
C. annuum
Chile de árbol
mediumDried
15,000-30,000 SHU
Origin
Mexico; a woody shrub.
Uses
The soul of salsa de árbol and of chilli oils; toasted whole, it serves as a crunchy garnish over tacos and soups. Ground, it gives a clean heat to adobos and broths.
About this chile
It is one of the few chiles that keeps a vivid, bright red even after drying, instead of darkening. Its name "de árbol" (of the tree) refers to the plant, a woody, thick-stemmed shrub. Unlike sweet dried chiles such as the ancho or the guajillo, it offers a clean, direct heat, with hardly any sweetness, that comes straight at you.