PASILLA
The long, skinny pasilla is a dried chile chilaca. (The fresh chilaca, by the way, chars excellently for rajas.) The pasilla is a dark chocolate color, and smells like bittersweet chocolate and tobacco. Be aware that the pasilla chile can change names across Mèxico; make sure you know what you’re buying.
How to Use It • Chop it up and fry it slightly, and serve with tortilla soup; you can also use the pasilla in mole, adobos (a marinade for roasts or chicken) or in a salsa borracha.
Is it Hot? Mild to medium, depending on the chile.
