Chilaca
What it is
A long (15–23 cm), slender, slightly curved and twisted pod that ripens from dark green to deep brown-black with a glossy, almost lacquered skin. The fresh form of the pasilla.
How it's made
Used fresh after roasting and peeling; ripened and dried, it becomes the wrinkled black pasilla ("little raisin"), one of the three pillars of mole.
Flavor profile
Mild, earthy, and richly green with a faint berry note; roasting deepens it toward smoke and cocoa.
Culinary uses
Roasted into rajas, blended into sauces, or used fresh in central and western Mexican cooking. Less common fresh than its dried pasilla form. Pairs with cream, mushrooms, and corn.
Regional variations
Grown across central Mexico (Michoacán, Guanajuato); the dried pasilla is far more widely traded than the fresh chilaca.
Cultural & historical context
A quiet but essential link in the Mexican chile chain: most cooks meet it as pasilla without realizing the fresh chilaca is the same plant.
Reference notes
Tags: `fresh`, `mild`, `Mexican`, `C. annuum`, `roasting`. Related: pasilla (its dried form), poblano. Substitute poblano (for fresh use). Sourcing: less common than poblano; Latin markets. Link → Pasilla Negro, Mole, Poblano.