Head to head
Anaheim vs Poblano
Both are large, mild roasting chillies. Anaheim is longer and leaner with a cleaner flavour; poblano is broader, darker and richer.
| Anaheim | Poblano | |
|---|---|---|
| Heat (SHU) | 500–2,500 | 1,000–2,000 |
| Species | C. annuum | C. annuum |
| Origin | United States | Mexico |
| Ripe colour | Red | Dark red-brown |
| Wall thickness | Thick | Thick |
| Days to maturity | 70 | 65 |
| Flavour | mild, earthy, slightly sweet, vegetal | earthy, rich, slightly sweet, mild heat |
Figures from each variety's own record. Heat is a range because heat is a range — see the Scoville scale for why.
The difference
These are the two big mild peppers a recipe is likely to call for, and they are genuinely close in use — both are roasted, peeled and treated as a vegetable rather than a seasoning. The Anaheim is long, flattish and comparatively slender, from the New Mexican breeding line. The poblano is broad, heart-shaped and darker, almost black-green when ready.
Flavour is where they part. Poblano is deeper and earthier, with enough character to carry a dish on its own, which is why it is the one that goes into chiles rellenos and mole. Anaheim is cleaner and greener, and it works better where you want quantity without dominating — a green chile stew, a pot of the roasted chile that New Mexico gets through by the sackful every autumn.
Both have thick enough walls to stuff, and both need the same treatment first: char the skin over a flame or under a grill, sweat it in a covered bowl, and rub it away. That step is not optional for either, and it is where most of the flavour develops.
Can you substitute one for the other?
Yes, in most dishes. Poblano for Anaheim gives a richer, darker result; Anaheim for poblano a lighter one. For chiles rellenos specifically, use the poblano — the shape is part of the dish.
Other comparisons
Or put any two varieties side by side in the compare tool.