Whole Red Hatch Chile Peppers

The Chile de árbol (Spanish for tree chili) is a small and potent Mexican chili pepper. These chilis are about 5 to 7.5 cm (2.0 to 3.0 in) long, and 0.65 to 1 cm (0.26 to 0.39 in) in diameter. The peppers start out green and turn a bright red color as they mature. Chile de árbol peppers can be found fresh, dried, or powdered. As dried chiles, they are often used to decorate wreaths because they do not lose their red color after dehydration. In cooking substitutions, the Chile de árbol pepper can be traded with Cayenne pepper or Pequin pepper. The seeds and white arches can be removed from the pepper to tone down its heat.