The chiles › Pasilla
C. annuum
Pasilla
lowDried
1,000-2,500 SHU
Origin
Mexico; it is the dried chilaca.
Uses
An essential part of mole; also in sauces for seafood and fish, and in adobos. Toasted and ground it brings depth and an elegant touch of bitterness.
About this chile
It is the chilaca chile once dried. Its name, "pasilla", derives from "pasita" (little raisin), after its dark, wrinkled, almost black appearance. It completes the mole "holy trinity" alongside the ancho and the mulato. It contributes deep notes reminiscent of raisin, liquorice and cocoa, rather than any notable heat.