Fresh vs Dried Pepper Names:
Did you know peppers have different names depending on whether they are fresh or dried/smoked? Welcome to the world of peppers! Read on...
Did you know peppers have different names depending on whether they are fresh or dried/smoked? Welcome to the world of peppers! Read on...
Here are some common dried pepper names:
Dried (Smoked) Jalapeños = Chipotle
Dried (Smoked) Jalapeños = Chipotle
Dried Poblanos = Ancho
Dried Anaheim Chile = Colorado or California
Dried Mirasol** = Guajillo
Dried Serrano = Chile Seco*
(or more specifically: balin, chico, tipico and largo)
Dried Chilaca = Pasilla
Dried Chile de Arbol = Chile Seco*
Of course, the names above can vary depending on the part of the world you are from. The more general term "Chile Seco" for example, translates to smoked chiles so is a more unbiquitous term that can apply to smoke-dried serranos, jalapeños, and Chile de Arbol. A smoked dried jalapeño is a chipotle. A chile morita is a lightly smoked chipotle, a chile meco is a strongly smoked chipotle. A colorado (AKA: New Mexico) pepper is a dried anaheim pepper. A guajillo is a dried mirasol. A dried serrano is called a chile seco (even though that is also a generic term for dried chile), a smoked dried serrano is a chile chico.
*Chile Seco name variations explained:Depending on the region and pepper, they may have different names when dried such as Chile Seco, or Chile Balín.
Balín: Literally meaning "rolling pin", used because the small, smooth, hard shape resembles one.
Chico: Meaning "small" or "boy", describing the short size of the pod.
Típico: Meaning "typical", referencing the standard or classic dried serrano of a region.
Largo: Meaning "long", used for the slightly elongated peppers.
Whatever you call them, we think they are all delicious!
**Mirasol name, explained:
The name Mirasol literally translates from Spanish as "looking at the sun" or "sun-watcher," combining mira (to look) and sol (sun). The name Mirasol can refer to a variety of peppers. There are several varieties of peppers that grow upward towards the sky including the Mexico classic: Guajillo, and the New Mexico Mirasol, or the Colorado-grown Mirasol Mosco Pueblo Chile.
Although they may not be referred to as Mirasol, many ornamental peppers also grow their pods upward, such as the gorgeous Easter Pepper, Fire & Ice Pepper, and even other peppers from around the world including Thai peppers and Thai Dragon Peppers.
Grow Peppers of the World
Check out our Hot Pepper Seeds from around the world and our Mexico Pepper Seeds for lots of great peppers to dry for your spice cabinet. You can also dry any pods from our selection of Super Hot Pepper seeds like our Carolina Reaper seeds and our selection of Ghost Pepper Seeds for super hot spices to use year-round!
Store your dried peppers whole, or you can also crush or process your peppers to make hot pepper flakes and powders. To do this, you can use food processors or coffee grinders, or Molcajete or get a high end spice grinder to get more fine flakes and powders.
Learn How to Dry Peppers without a Dehydrator »
Grow your own Spices!
Growing your own peppers in your garden is a great way to stock up your spice cabinet! Drying peppers is easy, you can use a dehydrator, or air dry them if your climate allows for it. Here are some clever ways on How to Dry Peppers without a Dehydrator. Pepper plants can be quite abundant, so often you won't be able to consume them all fresh, so drying your peppers is a great way to preserve your pepper harvest for year-round use.
Are peppers herbs or spices?
Did you know that peppers are considered herbs, spices and fruit? Yes, peppers are called herbs – in fact, the International Herb Society deemed that peppers were the Herb of the Year in 2016 and named the spicy Aleppo Pepper, as the Herb of the month is September 2023! Read more »
Happy growing and cooking!
