Poblano

Name: Poblano pepper (Capsicum annuum) — a mild, large, dark green, heart-shaped chilli with thick walls and a rich, earthy flavour, with heat of about 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville units. When ripe and dried it is called ancho.

Description

The poblano is named after the Mexican state of Puebla, and has been grown in Mexico for centuries. It is the pepper used for chiles rellenos, stuffed with cheese or meat, battered and fried, and for rajas con crema, strips of roasted pepper in cream. Dried, ripe red poblanos are called ancho chillies and are a key ingredient of mole sauces.

Poblanos have a mild, earthy, slightly smoky flavour and an occasional kick of heat. Their thick, tough skin is usually removed by roasting and peeling, which also brings out their flavour.

Main nutrition value

Poblano peppers provide vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6 and fibre, with some capsaicin, for very few calories.

How best to be consumed

Poblanos are usually roasted and peeled, then stuffed or sliced.

1. Roast over a flame or under a grill until blackened, steam in a covered bowl, then peel off the skin.
2. Stuff with cheese or meat for chiles rellenos, then bake or fry.
3. Slice into strips (rajas) with onion and cream, or add to tacos, soups and rice.
4. Blend into creamy sauces and soups.
5. Wear gloves if handling many, since heat varies between peppers.

Overconsumption could cause…

Poblano peppers are safe in food amounts.

1. Burning in the mouth, stomach upset or heartburn, particularly in people with reflux, gastritis or IBS.
2. Burns on the skin and eyes from handling cut chillies, so wear gloves and wash hands well afterwards.
3. Reactions in a small number of people sensitive to nightshade plants, such as joint or digestive complaints, though evidence is limited.
4. A lot of fat and calories in battered, fried and cheese-stuffed dishes.

GroupsFruit VegetablesNightshade family (Solanaceae)Low fatLow sodiumRich in vitamin CMexican and Latin AmericanFresh

Related foodsSerrano PepperJalapeñoHabaneroTomatilloCherry TomatoEggplant / Aubergine

Wikipedia — Poblano, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poblano