Chile Cascabel (or Cascabel Chili) means the “jingle bell chili” in Spanish. That’s because when these chilis are shaken, the seeds inside rattle around, making them sound like little bells. However, this isn’t just a chili that’ll make your ears ring, but one with an amazing flavor and wide range of culinary uses as well. The Cascabel Pepper is often used in Mexican cuisine to make sauces, stews, and salsas. Want to know more? Read on!
What Is Chile Cascabel?
The Cascabel Chili is a dried pepper which is commonly used in Mexican recipes to make sauces, soups, stews, and salsas. Typically, the dried version of a chili pepper has a different name than that of its fresh counterpart. However, in this case, both the dried and fresh version are called “Cascabel.” Additionally, the Cascabel Pepper is mostly used as a dried chili and ground into flakes. These peppers are native to Mexico and are grown throughout the country.
What Does The Cascabel Chili Taste Like?
The flavor of Chile Cascabel is often described as “smoky” and “nutty,” perfect for adding just a bit of earthy flavor and heat to a variety of recipes. Now, let’s talk about the heat level.
How Spicy Are Cascabel Peppers?
These peppers are fairly mild. They range from 1,000 to 3,000 Scoville heat units. Comparatively, the hottest of Cascabel Chilis are similar in spice level to a mild jalapeno pepper (2,500 – 8,000 SHU). Therefore, if you can handle the jalapeno, you can handle Chile Cascabel. However,to be on the safe side, I always encourage my readers to add a little pepper at a time. You can always add more.
Where Can I Buy Cascabel Chilis?
Chile Cascabel isn’t commonly sold at large supermarket chains. However, you can purchase them at a Mexican market or online. Finally, if you do choose to purchase through amazon, make sure you buy from a reputable brand such as El Guapo or Tampico.
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