Dried chilli (chiles secos)

Mexican food is built on dried chilli, and not primarily for the heat. Each variety has its own character — raisin, berry, smoke, liquorice — and it is the combination of them that gives mole, adobo and salsa the depth that otherwise takes hours to build. We carry around sixty varieties, whole and ground, mainly from Xatze, Kaktus and Kryddhuset, and most of them you will not find anywhere else in Norway.

Which chilli should you choose?

Guajillo is the most used and a safe place to start: mild, with the flavour of dried berries and a deep red colour that gives the sauce its look. Ancho is dried poblano, milder still, and tastes of raisin, prune and dark chocolate — it is the reason mole tastes of mole. Chipotle and morita are smoked jalapeño and add a bonfire note; a single chipotle in the pot is clearly noticeable. Pasilla is dark, small and slightly bitter in a good way, mulato resembles ancho but leans more towards liquorice, and chile de árbol is the thin little one that is genuinely hot. Habanero is in a class of its own, in both heat and fruitiness.

How to toast and soak dried chilli

Dried chilli does not give up its flavour readily. Tear off the stalk and toast the chilli in a dry, hot pan for twenty to thirty seconds on each side, until it smells fragrant and turns pliable. It should not darken — burnt chilli turns bitter, and there is nothing to be done about it. Then put it in boiling water for twenty minutes, and blend it to a smooth paste together with a little of the soaking water, garlic, cumin and salt. That paste is the starting point for most things: enchilada sauce, birria, adobo, marinade for the grill.

Whole chilli or chilli powder?

Whole chillies hold their flavour considerably longer, because the aromatic oils sit protected inside the fruit. Ground chilli and ready-made chilli powder are practical when you want heat and colour in a dry rub or straight in the pot, but they lose their edge after a few months in the cupboard. We carry both, and for everyday use Tajin — mild chilli with lime and salt — is also one of the easiest ways to get a Mexican flavour onto fruit, corn and snacks.

Frequently asked questions about dried chilli

How long does dried chilli keep? In an airtight jar, dark and dry, whole chillies easily keep a year. If they have turned as brittle as paper and are almost scentless, they have given up what they had.

Do I have to take out the seeds? Most of the heat sits in the white membranes, not in the seeds themselves, but both seeds and membranes add a little bitterness. If you want a smooth, clean sauce, take them out.

What are chiles secos? It is simply Spanish for dried chilli, and often appears on the bags from Mexico.

How much do I need? For a sauce for four, reckon on five to eight chillies in total, ideally two thirds guajillo and one third ancho, with one chipotle for smoke.

The rest of our Mexican range is under Mexico, and all the spices are under spices.