Head to head
Pasilla vs Ancho
Two different dried chillies routinely sold as each other, especially in the US. Pasilla is long, narrow and herbal; ancho is broad, heart-shaped and sweet.
| Pasilla | Ancho | |
|---|---|---|
| Heat (SHU) | 1,000–2,500 | 1,000–1,500 |
| Species | C. annuum | C. annuum |
| Origin | Mexico | Mexico |
| Ripe colour | Dark brown | Reddish brown |
| Wall thickness | Thin | Medium |
| Days to maturity | 80 | — |
| Flavour | earthy, rich, slightly smoky, berry-like, complex | sweet, dried fruit, tobacco, mild, rich |
Figures from each variety's own record. Heat is a range because heat is a range — see the Scoville scale for why.
The difference
This is a labelling problem more than a cooking one. In much of the United States, dried poblanos are sold as "pasilla", which is simply wrong: a pasilla is the dried form of the chilaca, a long narrow pepper that ripens dark brown, and its name means "little raisin" for the wrinkled look it takes on. Ancho is the dried poblano — wide, which is what ancho means.
Shape settles it instantly. A pasilla is long, slim and almost flat, the size and shape of a large dried leaf. An ancho is broad and triangular, a hand's width across the shoulders. If the pod in front of you is wide, it is an ancho whatever the label says.
They taste different in a way that matters. Pasilla is herbal, slightly bitter and cocoa-like, with an edge that cuts richness. Ancho is sweeter and fruitier. Mole poblano uses both alongside mulato precisely because each supplies something the others do not, and substituting one for the other is why a home mole can come out either cloying or harsh.
Can you substitute one for the other?
At a push, accepting the dish changes. Ancho for pasilla makes a sweeter, rounder sauce; pasilla for ancho a sharper, more bitter one. In a mole, use both as written — that recipe is specifically about the balance.
Other comparisons
Or put any two varieties side by side in the compare tool.