Dried Red Chile

Dried red chile is a whole ripe red pepper that has been dehydrated. Pods are leathery with a brick-red sheen and deliver fruity, earthy heat; they toast quickly, soften when soaked, and blend smoothly into sauces. Common uses include pureeing into salsas and moles, steeping for broths and oils, and crumbling into stews; sold mostly as whole pods or crushed pieces.\n\nOriginating from domesticated Capsicum in Mesoamerica, dried forms spread worldwide via the Columbian exchange. They are foundational in Mexican and New Mexican cooking and widely used in Indian and Chinese cuisines; pods are typically sun-dried or kiln-dried after full ripening in arid growing regions.