Re: [CH] Chilaca Chiles

Brent Thompson (brent@hplbct.hpl.hp.com)
Thu, 01 May 2003 09:15:05 -0700

> According to my sources, Chilaca is the fresh form of Guajillo and is seldom found 
> fresh in the US. Guajillos are normally used dried. It may be the ancestor of the 
> New Mexico/Anaheim chiles, so you might try using them.

Interesting.  Everything I've ever heard or read says chilaca is a long
(6-10 inches), narrow (about 1 inch), dark green-nearly-black, thin-skinned
chile which is the fresh "green" form of the chile called pasilla or chile
negro when dried, which in that form is black in color, while guajillo is a
completely different, smooth-shaped, red (when ripe), thicker-skinned chile
that is about the same width but at most half as long as chilaca/pasilla.

I can believe guajillo could be the ancestor of New Mexico type chiles,
though, given their similarity in color, size, and shape.

 ---   Brent