Chilhuacle Rojo is a rare, ancient variety of Capsicum annuum from the La Cañada region of Oaxaca, Mexico. It produces deep red pods with a sweet, fruity flavor and mild-to-medium heat, making it essential for authentic Oaxacan mole rojo and other traditional dishes. One of three chilhuacle varieties, it has been cultivated for thousands of years using traditional methods.
Chilhuacle Rojo peppers are distinguished by their deep maroon red color when ripe, growing to about 3-4 inches long and 1.5-2 inches wide with thin walls and flesh on productive plants reaching 18-36 inches tall. The pods start green and mature to a rich red, with a smooth to slightly leathery skin. Fresh, they offer a sweet taste with subtle citrus notes; drying intensifies a complex profile featuring hints of dried cherries, anise, licorice, dried figs, and wild cherry alongside moderate spicy heat. This variety is prized in Oaxacan gastronomy as a key ingredient in mole rojo and manchamanteles, as well as fresh preparations like chiles rellenos and chile caldo. Grown exclusively in small plots in La Cañada using traditional practices, it faces threats from diseases and limited acreage, rendering it rare and expensive. It is typically toasted, peeled, and used dried for maximum flavor depth in sauces and salsas.
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Cultivated for over 6,000 years and one of the oldest domesticated chiles, named from Nahuatl words for 'chili' and 'old.' Endemic to La Cañada in Oaxaca, it remains central to Oaxacan cuisine and the seven traditional moles, though now rare due to limited cultivation and disease pressures.
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Reach out →Sweet with hints of dried cherries, anise, licorice, dried figs, and wild cherry; rich and deep with moderate spicy heat and subtle citrus notes.
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