Pasilla Pepper Pods

The pasilla pepper or pasilla chile negro is the dried form of the chilaca chili pepper, a long and narrow member of species Capsicum annuum. Named for its dark, wrinkled skin, it is a mild to medium-hot, a very rich flavored chile pepper.

In Spanish, pasilla means 'little raisin', an allusion to the dark brown pods of this type. In California the ancho is sometimes called pasilla, causing much confusion. In western Mexico it is sometimes called chile negro, a term that also refers to the darker anchos. In the fresh form, the pod is known as chilaca.