De Arbol Peppers

Quantity/Pack:
Availability: Jan-Dec
Origin: Mexico

Melissa's De Arbol Peppers are the young, green pods of chile de árbol, one of Mexico's most celebrated chile peppers, hand-selected and packaged fresh for a true rare find. Chile de árbol is a slender, gently curved chile pepper most often seen dried, with the mature pepper's bright red, wrinkled form bunched into iconic kitchen wreaths or steeping in salsa. Also known as pico de pájaro ("bird's beak") or cola de rata ("rat's tail"), fresh De Arbol Peppers offer home cooks a chance to experience this chile pepper variety in a form few ever see.

Fresh De Arbol Peppers are thin-walled and crisp, with a snap that sits closer to a green bean than a typical chile pepper. That crunch gives way to a chile flavor that's grassy, nutty, and lightly smoky, with a spice level that runs milder than mature red De Arbol Peppers but is still very much present. De Arbol Peppers sit in the same fiery territory as cayenne pepper, so a little goes a long way. Where dried red De Arbol Peppers deliver a slow, smoky burn, fresh green De Arbol Peppers bring a brighter, sharper heat with more vegetal chile pepper character up front.

De Arbol Peppers are used across Mexican, Asian, and Southeast Asian cooking, and Melissa's fresh De Arbol Peppers are no exception. Use fresh De Arbol Peppers sliced thin for stir-fries, or chopped into salsa verde and pico de gallo. Whole De Arbol Peppers can be steeped in hot oil for a chile-infused finishing oil, or dropped a few at a time into a simmering pot of soup or stew to build heat gradually as they cook. Pickled De Arbol Peppers make a sharp, crunchy condiment worthy of tacos, sandwiches, and grazing boards needing a kick.

Storage: Keep Melissa's Fresh De Arbol Peppers refrigerated in their original packaging and use within about a week for best texture and flavor. For longer storage, De Arbol Peppers can be dried or frozen.