Bensmom Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 I have several recipes that call for chili powder, but often list a specific type of chili powder like New Mexico or chipotle. I know it is difficult to put into words the subtleties of flavor, but can someone please explain the differences? Also, how do these chili powders differ from red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper? Are they all from different plants? I am a little embarrassed that I do not know. I use generic brand chili powder for most of these recipes. Will I get a better, or significantally different flavor if I stock my spice shelf with these various types of chili powders? I also always wonder about the price differences in spices. Are the cheap brands of spices a lower quality than the expensive spices or are you just paying more for the brand name? Any WTM Cooks out there that can enlighten me? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 All of the different varieties are made from different types of peppers which are ( at a minimum) dried and ground. Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeno peppers. Chipotle powder has a smoky, mildly spicy flavor. Regular chili powder can be made of a blend of peppers and other spices including ancho, jalapeno, pasilla, and paprika. The actual blend is not commonly listed on the bottom. Red pepper flakes or ground red pepper are cayenne peppers. Different peppers have different flavors and heat level. Every cook has their own preferred pepper. I like anchos, pasillas, caribes, and poblanos. All of these are mild to medium in heat and rich in flavor. Whoever is writing the recipe can specify which pepper they think works best in that recipe. If you try the different varieties, you will determine which ones you like best. Or you can buy the generic pepper blends are enjoy the mild, fairly consistent flavor. Now, these blends do vary. They use whichever peppers are available at the time of processing. Peppers off the same plant vary depending on the point of the season, and the treatment of the plant (hotter weather and/or less water =spicier peppers. Cooler weather and more water =milder, sweeter peppers). So even if you buy the same brand every time, the flavor will not be 100% consistent. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 The only one I know about is the chipotle chili powder. It has a distinctly different taste and smell than regular chili powder. To me, it's kind of a smoky, almost bbq flavor. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bensmom Posted March 31, 2017 Author Share Posted March 31, 2017 Desert Strawberry, Thank-you for such a detailed response! I may be an old dog, but I am trying to learn some new tricks in the kitchen. I have never even heard of all of those types of peppers. Going to do some exploring at the grocery store tomorrow😀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 (edited) I get by with regular and chipotle chile powders for everything. For anything else, I just use the pepper instead of the powder. The chipotle is very different and much smokier than the regular. It's like chile powder and cumin had a baby that surpassed them both. I use red pepper and cayenne powder more for heat than flavor. Edited March 31, 2017 by KungFuPanda 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTRMom Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 New Mexico chilis are usually mild but have a distinct flavor, almost sweet; they're more vegetable-like than cayenne or jalapeño which are primarily spicy without much flavor IMO. But I live in New Mexico and am pretty biased. We buy cases of green chilis and have them roasted, peel and freeze them. It's hard to capture the green chili taste elsewhere because they don't make good powder. Canned is the best option. As to the spices, it depends on the spice. Onion powder is the same from every brand. But I find things like thyme and sage to be better in certain brands. Of course fresh is infinitely better. Explore the fresh herb area, if you're intimidated by it. Also, I often find that the generic spices are in a smaller container and actually cost more per ounce then the medium-tier spices! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 I know Penzey's is a tad controversial, but they have an Aleppo Pepper which we use all the time. It has a good chili pepper taste, but without any heat. I, personally love heat, but my children do not (pagoda not dh either), so this is my compromise. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 I'm not great when it comes to the subtleties of peppers, but experimentation and experience help. I have a pork chop recipe that calls for ancho chilies for which I will always use ancho chilies because YUM! I haven't worked with chipotles at home, but I've ordered things that tell me I really need to start! I'm not really one to understand what people mean when they describe flavors, so I have to try for myself. And that means making some losers. I think it's worth it. (That's how I discovered I hate andouille sausage, but love chorizo! You won't find me using andouille again, no matter what a recipe says.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 I don't keep chipotle powder around, but I do keep smoked paprika which I can use along with chili powder to get a smokey flavor. The difficulty with getting too many spices IMO is some won't get used so they won't be fresh. So, I try out new things sometimes, but I otherwise tend to use some basics and customize by mixing. I use smoked paprika for a lot of things, but chipotle powder would be very occasional. Or I usually don't have different kinds of curry spice mix, I get one if I feel I need it and use it for a lot of things, modifying with basic spices if I want. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted April 3, 2017 Share Posted April 3, 2017 If you want to, you can grind your own powder using a spice grinder or a clean coffee grinder. I use my ninja prep, but I get a fairly coarse grind. Most grocery stores have dried chipotle and guajillo peppers, and often anchos in the produce section. The packets of spices are super cheap. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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