One of the best things about Mexican cuisine is the delicious spice in many of the dishes. That spice is all thanks to a wide array of chili peppers, each with its unique flavor and function.
Two of the most popular are Anaheim peppers and Poblano peppers. Both of these peppers have a mild to medium spice level and are great for grilling, roasting and even stuffing with a flavorful filling.
While both are very popular and delicious, there are notable differences between the two. Understanding these differences can help ensure you’re selecting the right one for your dish and your preference.
This article will explore some of those differences in detail.
What are Poblano Peppers?
Poblano peppers are large peppers that vary in color from green to red.
They are very popular in Mexico where they’ve been cultivated and enjoyed for centuries. The name Poblano comes from the Mexican state Puebla, where they were first grown.
As the world has become more connected, poblano peppers have been shared more widely and now they can be found worldwide.
What are Anaheim Peppers?
Anaheim peppers are long, skinny peppers that are very popular in dishes from New Mexico. They were first cultivated in New Mexico in the early 1900s, and have become so popular in New Mexico they are often simply called ‘chili.’
The name ‘Anaheim peppers’ came much later, when a farmer from Anaheim, California discovered the spicy delicacy and brought it back to his state to grow.
Anaheim peppers can also vary in color from green to red and there are even some white and yellow varieties as well.
Appearance
One of the main differences between these two peppers can be spotted right away in their appearance.
Poblano peppers look similar to large jalapeno peppers. They are about four inches in length, wide and round near the stem, and come to a point near the end. Their skin is thick, like a bell pepper.
Anaheim peppers are much more narrow and long. They can be up to 10 inches long, though they average around 7 inches. They are thin, with a very pointed tip.
Both peppers start as green peppers and may turn red as they ripen. Anaheim chiles may also be yellow or even white, but this is more uncommon.
Flavor & Heat
Anaheim peppers and Poblano peppers are often confused because of how similar they taste. They are very decent substitutes for one another in a recipe.
Poblano peppers have a smoky flavor, with a hint of mild sweetness that blends perfectly with many spices that are popular in Mexican cuisine.
Anaheim peppers are slightly sweeter than Poblanos with a little bit of tangy flavor and a subtle earthiness.
Both of these peppers are considered mild peppers, but their heat can increase with ripeness and is usually manifested with a bright red color. The brighter the color, the spicier the pepper.
The difference between the two peppers is that Anaheim peppers have a wider range of flavor and spiciness than Poblano peppers. Anaheim peppers can be much spicier than poblanos, but they can also be much milder too.
Poblano peppers have a Scoville rating of anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville units, which are used to measure the heat level of peppers. This is just a bit less spicy than the average jalapeno peppers.
Anaheim peppers have a much wider range of spices, anywhere from 500 to 2,500 Scoville heat units.
Each pepper and each plant is unique, so some poblanos or Anaheim peppers may end up spicier or more mild. In general, these are peppers used to add flavor, not spice, to a dish. If you are not a fan of spice, steer clear from bright red tones and you should be okay.
Usage
While these peppers both provide a great boost of flavor to a dish, they are popular in different regions and therefore more popular in dishes from those regions. They are full of flavor but not noted for being a spicy pepper.
For example, Anaheim peppers were developed in the United States and are used widely in dishes from the United States, particularly New Mexico, like enchiladas, chiles rellenos, and salsa. They are so popular in New Mexico that some consider them New Mexico chiles.
Anaheim peppers can be roasted, grilled, or baked for use in hot sauces or stews. Removing the membrane and the seeds will make Anaheim peppers less spicy and bring out their mild flavor.
Poblano peppers are more popular in authentic Mexican dishes like chiles en nogada or mole poblano. They are hearty and thick, which makes them excellent for roasting and stuffing, but they can also be added to a wide variety of other dishes.
Poblanos can be made less spicy by removing the skin and the seeds.
Substitutes
Anaheim and Poblano peppers are very close in flavor and make excellent substitutes for one another in most recipes.
If you can’t get your hands on either you could try substituting banana peppers, Cubanelle peppers, or even green bell peppers for a milder version.
FAQs
Anaheim peppers and hatch chiles are both very popular and very common in New Mexico. They are both meaty, delicious green peppers with an earthy flavor and thick skin. They may also vary from mild heat to a powerful kick which makes both a versatile pepper.
During the growing season, you may see grocery stores in the southwest offering to roast the green chiles for you to take home and use in your favorite recipes. You can smell these fragrant hatch chilies from miles away.
While these peppers both have a sweet flavor and medium heat, they are not the same. The key difference is the hatch chile’s potential to be much, much hotter than Anaheim chilies. Their Scoville rating varies from 1,000 to up to 8,000 Scoville units which makes them the perfect hot pepper for spicy foods.
Like Anaheim peppers, they start dark green and turn red as they ripen and become more spicy.
Jalapeno peppers are much spicier than poblano peppers. This prevents them from being a good substitute for one another.
While jalapeno peppers have less heat than a serrano pepper or scotch bonnet peppers, fresh poblano is considered a mild pepper on the lower end of the Scoville scale. They are not as harmless as sweet bell peppers, but they don’t bring the heat of many other kinds of peppers.
While you may not consider them “hot” peppers at all, green bell peppers are considered the mildest hot peppers. They have plenty of flavor to add to dishes but they have 0 Scoville Heat Units. The flavor is not a direct match to that of a Poblano, so I would still recommend seeking out a different substitute. But if you want peppers with no heat, a classic bell pepper is the way to go.
Poblano peppers can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Most people prefer to enjoy them roasted because the thick skin can add too much texture to some recipes. The smoky flavor of roasting also adds something undeniably special to most dishes and plays perfectly with the flavor of poblanos.
Anaheim peppers are both spicy and sweet, with a hint of tang. They are not as mild as a bell pepper, and do have some spice to them, but they are also not a pepper that is commonly used to add intense heat to a dish.
Leave a Reply