Guajillo

A guajillo chili or chile guaco or mirasol chile is a landrace variety of the species Capsicum annuum with a mirasol ("sunflower" or "looking at the sun") chile fruit type. Mirasol is used to refer to the fresh pepper, and the term guajillo is used for the dry form, which is the second-most common dried chili in Mexican cuisine. There are two main varieties that are distinguished by their size and heat factors. The guajillo puya is the smaller and hotter of the two (puyar, in Spanish, is to prick or poke). In contrast, the longer and wider guajillo has a more pronounced, richer flavor and is somewhat less spicy. With a rating of 2,500 to 5,000 on the Scoville scale, its heat is considered mild to medium. The guajillo chile has a reddish-brown, rather dark color and a thin, smooth, shiny skin. It is about 8–10 cm (3.1–3.9 in) long. In terms of flavor, it is generally defined as sweet and somewhat fruity.