The chili de
arbol
(pronounced: "day ar
boll") are
narrow, curved chiles that start out green and mature to bright red.
The arbol
chili
is related to the cayenne
chili pepper and used generally in
Mexican cooking. De Arbol grows on a lush plant with thick, woody
stems. It stays bright red when dried making it popular for use in
many Mexican holiday wreaths.
Chile
De Arbol Peppers are named in reference to the woody stems attached to
the pod. The Spanish translation of the name means "treelike". Bright
brick-red, elongated and pointed, measuring about 50 to 75mm long and 6
to 10 mm across. Thin fleshed, it has a tannic, smokey, and grassy
flavor, and a searing, acidic heat. In pod form the de arbol is often
used to flavour oils and vinegars.
The
chili de arbol rates between 15,000 and 30,000 Scoville units on the
heat index.
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