Dried Chile de Arbol is a mildly spicy pepper, similar in shape to a mini Cayenne pepper. It is a pepper with a short and powerful spiciness, and has a hint of nuttiness, almost smoky in flavour, along with a slight grassy undertone. Its strong spicy flavour immediately gives a dish a lot of flavour. The arbol peppers are slender and curved in shape, which is why in Mexico they are also called Pico de Pajaro (bird beak) or Cola de Rata (rat’s tail).
De Arbol’ is Spanish for ‘tree-like’, because the plant on which the pepper grows resembles a tree. The medium hot pepper is a common ingredient in Mexican cuisine. The chile de Arbol is delicious to flavour salsas, sauces and wok dishes.

Preparation
– Fry the dried chillies in a dry frying pan on medium heat for about 2 minutes. This will release the essential oils and give them more flavour. Then rehydrate by soaking them in hot water for about 15/20 minutes, then chop as you prefer.
– Place the dried chillies in a food processor and grind them until they have the coarse texture you prefer, flakes or powder.