Description

PUYA PEPPER DRIED

Pronounced “POO-yuh”. The Puya Pepper is also sometimes referred to as “Pulla”. A member of the C.annum species the Puya chiles are plentiful in Mexico City and the surrounding region throughout the Central Valley of Mexico. Puya Chiles has been the center of spirited debate among serious chile-heads in determining if it is a hybrid of the de Arbol or the Guajillo chile. We fall in the camp of it being related to the Guajillo.

Puya chiles look very similar to the more popular Guajillo. Puyas tend to be a bit smaller and pack more heat (5,000 to 8,000 Scoville Heat Units) than Guajillos (2,500-5,000 SHU). Puya chiles are considered medium heat chile while Guajillos are a more mild chile. The relationship between these two chiles closely resembles how the California Chile (also called Anaheim chiles) looks very similar to the New Mexico chile but with different heat levels.

Puya chiles are slightly curved and elongated while tapering to a point. 3-4” in length these thin red peppers ripen to a deep crimson to purplish color and are a bit translucent. These chiles have an intense heat that is pungent, dry, and a bit dusty. Puya Chiles has a light fruity flavor profile, with licorice and cherry undertones that bring to mind wild berries. Our Puya chiles are grown in Mexico.

Puya chiles are a favorite substitute for Guajillos by sophisticated chefs who are looking more for their fruity flavor than for the flesh of the chile pod. This makes them ideal to be diced, pureed, or mashed and then made into a sauce.

The Puya Chile is a popular chile in central Mexican cuisine and we like to use these as a substitute for Guajillo chiles in our Mexican mole sauces for some added kick. Use Puya chiles to flavor meat dishes using chicken, fish, pork, or veal. It also adds a delightful flavor to breakfast burritos, casseroles, chutneys, cooked vegetables, dips, enchiladas, pizza, salsas, sauces, soups, and stews.

To rehydrate your Puya chiles soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes and then either dice them or puree them in a food processor before adding them to your recipe. Like most chiles we use we like to bring out even more intense flavor by roasting or toasting them first. You can either toast them in a hot skillet for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat or stick them in a pre-heated 250° oven on a warm sheet for 3-4 minutes.

Stick your nose in a container of puyas and you’ll find it smells like the desert on a triple-digit day – dusty, dry, and pungent. The flavor tastes a bit of a young cherry – sweet and slightly tart. To best extract, the flavor uses the water the chile reconstituted in as the chile’s heat may quickly overtake its own flavor.

Nutritional Value

Dried Pulla chile peppers contain vitamins A, B, and C, and significant amounts of iron, thiamine, niacin, magnesium, and riboflavin. Chiles are cholesterol-free, saturated fat-free, low calorie, low sodium, and high in fiber.

Recommended Applications

Use this Puya Chile, with its hot yet fruity flavor to enhance your favorite chili, soup, sauces, rice dishes, or salsa. Add to a chicken or fish marinade for a complex flavor with a punch of heat.

Dried Pulla chile peppers can be used similarly to dried Guajillos, though they will impart more spice to the dish. They may be added directly to a recipe in the dried form or rehydrated by soaking in hot water for 10 minutes.

To maximize their flavor, roast for three to four minutes in a 250-degree oven or toast in a dry cast-iron skillet. They add a sharp high note of spice to stews, soups, dips, chutneys, casseroles, and cooked vegetables, and as a seasoning for salsas, sauces, and marinades.