Crushed Ancho Chilli Pepper
Ancho is the dried form of the poblano pepper, one of the most important chillies in Mexican cooking. When fresh, the poblano is a large, fleshy pepper measuring up to 15cm long and 8cm wide. Once dried in the sun over several weeks, it loses length but retains its width — which is how it earned its name: ancho means "wide" in Spanish. The drying process concentrates the flavour into something deeper and more complex than the fresh pepper: sweet, with pronounced notes of liquorice and dried fruit, and a gentle warmth rated 4/10 on the Scoville scale. It is low in capsaicin and milder than Espelette pepper, making it one of the most approachable dried chillies available.
Ancho has been a cornerstone of Mexican cuisine since long before the Spanish conquest. In traditional cooking it is one third of the "holy trinity" of dried peppers — alongside pasilla and mulato — that forms the base of classic mole sauces. Beyond moles, these crushed flakes bring warmth and depth to soups, stews, marinades, grilled meats, fish en papillote, creamy sauces, hummus, and salads. The mild heat and sweet character also make ancho unusually versatile — it works as comfortably with white fish and seafood as it does with red meat.
Producer: Terre Exotique, a French spice house founded in 1998 after its founder discovered Penja pepper on a plantation in Cameroon. The company sources directly from growers worldwide and processes at its facility in France, maintaining close relationships with producers to ensure traceability and quality across its range.
Storage: Ambient. Store in a dry place at room temperature.
Net: 45g
Ancho is the dried form of the poblano pepper, one of the most important chillies in Mexican cooking. When fresh, the poblano is a large, fleshy pepper measuring up to 15cm long and 8cm wide. Once dried in the sun over several weeks, it loses length but retains its width — which is how it earned its name: ancho means "wide" in Spanish. The drying process concentrates the flavour into something deeper and more complex than the fresh pepper: sweet, with pronounced notes of liquorice and dried fruit, and a gentle warmth rated 4/10 on the Scoville scale. It is low in capsaicin and milder than Espelette pepper, making it one of the most approachable dried chillies available.
Ancho has been a cornerstone of Mexican cuisine since long before the Spanish conquest. In traditional cooking it is one third of the "holy trinity" of dried peppers — alongside pasilla and mulato — that forms the base of classic mole sauces. Beyond moles, these crushed flakes bring warmth and depth to soups, stews, marinades, grilled meats, fish en papillote, creamy sauces, hummus, and salads. The mild heat and sweet character also make ancho unusually versatile — it works as comfortably with white fish and seafood as it does with red meat.
Producer: Terre Exotique, a French spice house founded in 1998 after its founder discovered Penja pepper on a plantation in Cameroon. The company sources directly from growers worldwide and processes at its facility in France, maintaining close relationships with producers to ensure traceability and quality across its range.
Storage: Ambient. Store in a dry place at room temperature.
Net: 45g
Description
Ancho is the dried form of the poblano pepper, one of the most important chillies in Mexican cooking. When fresh, the poblano is a large, fleshy pepper measuring up to 15cm long and 8cm wide. Once dried in the sun over several weeks, it loses length but retains its width — which is how it earned its name: ancho means "wide" in Spanish. The drying process concentrates the flavour into something deeper and more complex than the fresh pepper: sweet, with pronounced notes of liquorice and dried fruit, and a gentle warmth rated 4/10 on the Scoville scale. It is low in capsaicin and milder than Espelette pepper, making it one of the most approachable dried chillies available.
Ancho has been a cornerstone of Mexican cuisine since long before the Spanish conquest. In traditional cooking it is one third of the "holy trinity" of dried peppers — alongside pasilla and mulato — that forms the base of classic mole sauces. Beyond moles, these crushed flakes bring warmth and depth to soups, stews, marinades, grilled meats, fish en papillote, creamy sauces, hummus, and salads. The mild heat and sweet character also make ancho unusually versatile — it works as comfortably with white fish and seafood as it does with red meat.
Producer: Terre Exotique, a French spice house founded in 1998 after its founder discovered Penja pepper on a plantation in Cameroon. The company sources directly from growers worldwide and processes at its facility in France, maintaining close relationships with producers to ensure traceability and quality across its range.
Storage: Ambient. Store in a dry place at room temperature.
Net: 45g
