This is the first in a series I’ve titled “THE FLAVOR TRAILS”. To walk is to open ourselves to the world. It’s not just about paving our way through landscapes and paths, but also about traveling through more intimate terrains: our flavors. Behind every path, there are aromas; behind every crop, there are seeds; and behind every community, there are recipes that hold centuries of tradition.
In each of these posts, we’ll be walking through spaces where our journey will become nourishment and culture will reveal itself through the kitchen.
The dried chile will be the star, but not just as an ingredient. It’s a tireless traveler that has accompanied the history of traditional Mexico, from the field to the table. We will explore its routes: from the furrow where it’s born green and vibrant, to the market where it’s offered wrinkled and aromatic; from the hands that harvest it to the pots where it transforms into adobo, mole or salsa. Join it on its culinary and cultural journeys.
To walk the trails of the dried chile is to recognize that in every bite, there are the footprints of farmers, pilgrims, cooks and travelers who carried it from one State to another, from one century to the next. I invite you to follow those footprints.
In my book, Capsicupea. Los adobos mexicanos (1), I present 440 recipes that use 27 varieties of dried chiles sold in Mexico. “I’ve always had a fondness for all dishes prepared with adobo. During the eighties and up to the end of the nineties, due to construction work I was doing in some large, medium, and small cities in Mexico, I visited a large number of local markets, restaurants, and eateries that offered their respective adobo specialties. This preference allowed me to confidently recognize the different components of each dish, which I wrote down and organized. In a considerable number of cases, I dared to ask the owner, and also the head cook, about some of the seasonings I couldn’t identify. And that’s how I created this list of adobo dishes that I am now pleased to present to you—the pleasure of savoring them. Only in a few cases is the recipe presented with a meat or seafood that I didn’t try in its original form; the vast majority include the ingredients with which I tasted the delicious delicacy. On certain occasions, I’ve had to return to a place to find a dish I didn’t write down but considered very important to include in the selection.
All the recipes were prepared by me, and sometimes I had to do them two or three times to be precise and refine them. However, many dishes were left without a photograph because it would have taken me months to do so. I preferred to print the book and leave spaces for the reader to add their own photo (or photos) of the dishes they make.
With centuries of customs and traditions, each region of the country and each state in particular have developed their exclusive and distinct adobo dishes according to their culinary tastes and the characteristics and flavors of the typical natural products of each area of Mexico.
Each dish has its tradition in terms of its ingredients and, of course, the amount of adobo used to coat the main food. However, it is the taster’s prerogative whether they cover it completely with the adobo or just toss it in a pan with a small amount”.
We begin this post with the chile ancho, obtained by drying the poblano chile, which acquires the depth of flavor that accompanies the traveler.
“To walk culture is also to taste it”.
THE FLAVOR TRAILS is not a cookbook, but an invitation to walk through culture by way of taste. Because walking is not just about moving: it’s about opening the senses (2). And when you also walk with the sense of taste, you discover that a country’s history can be told in an adobo, a mole or a salsa.
1. The Discovery on the Trail
Walking through Mexico’s markets is like exploring a universe of colors and aromas. In San Pedro Cholula, among stalls of fruit, corn, and herbs, a reddish, almost earthy sight stopped me: piles of chiles anchos that looked like tiny mountains dried in the sun. It was there that I remembered this fruit was not born ancho, but green and fresh, in the furrows of Puebla, and that its journey to my hand is also a walk.
2. The Chile Ancho in Cultural Context
When a poblano chile dries, it becomes an chile ancho: wrinkled skin, dark red, with a sweet, smoky aroma. It is the star of poblano adobos, the base for moles and salsas that accompany meats, vegetables, or tamales.
Its cultivation requires patience: farmers plant in the spring, walk the milpa (cornfield) in the summer to care for it, and finally harvest in the fall. Every step of that rural journey is reflected in the deep flavor that, once dry, accompanies Mexican cuisine.
3. The Chile Ancho’s Journey (Production and Consumption)
Although the chile ancho is born in the furrows of Puebla, it has extended its journey throughout the entire country, creating production, distribution, and consumption routes that make it a true traveler of earth and fire. These routes are not just commercial—they’re also cultural, because each transfer carries with it cooking methods, customs and celebrations. Its paths are diverse, and each one tells a different story.
Route 1. The Central Highlands Route – Puebla – Mexico City – Central Mexico
The heart of its origin is in the valleys of Puebla, where the poblano chile is allowed to mature until it becomes ancho. From there, it goes to the markets of Atlixco and Tehuacán, and naturally makes its way up to Mexico City. At the Central de Abasto, it’s concentrated as a wholesale product, then distributed to iconic markets like La Merced, San Juan and Jamaica. From here, it travels to neighboring states: Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, Querétaro, and the Bajío region, where it becomes indispensable in festive adobos and moles. With their distinct cultural journeys, from the fields of Puebla and Tlaxcala, ancho chiles travel to Mexico City and the State of Mexico, where they become a central ingredient in urban adobos and moles. Large markets like La Merced, San Juan and Toluca are distribution centers where the ancho is mixed with dozens of spices and seasonings.
Route 2. The Gulf and Huasteca Route – Puebla – Veracruz – Gulf of Mexico
To the east, the chile ancho descends through the canyons and paths that connect Puebla with Veracruz. In Córdoba, Orizaba, and Xalapa, it is incorporated into Veracruz cuisine, especially in pork adobos and stew pot dishes. From there, it expands north, reaching Tuxpan, Poza Rica and the Huasteca region, where it is also known as “Chile Color” (Color Chili). This name reflects its fundamental role in Huastecan adobos, where deep red becomes a sign of identity. In regions of Veracruz, Hidalgo, and San Luis Potosí (and four other States that make up the Huasteca), the ancho chile is part of the famous “Huastecan adobos” with local herbs. The markets of Tuxpan, Tantoyuca and Tampico are key points in its commercialization.
Route 3. The Bajío Route – Guanajuato – Querétaro – San Luis Potosí
In Guanajuato, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí, the ancho chile is cultivated and consumed in abundance. It travels in sacks to the markets of León, Celaya and San Luis, where it is integrated into country and festive stews. Here, it also receives other names: “chile de color” or simply “colorado”, due to the reddish intensity it gives to dishes.
Route 4. The Southeast Route – Puebla – Oaxaca – Southeast
To the south, the chile ancho travels toward Oaxaca, where it coexists with the pasilla, mulato, and chilhuacle chiles. In the markets of Oaxaca de Juárez and in the tradition of the seven moles, the ancho holds a modest but persistent place, particularly in adobos that accompany meats and tamales. From Oaxaca, it is distributed to Chiapas and Tabasco, expanding its uses in regional broths and adobos.
Route 5. The Northern Route – Puebla – Northern Mexico – Export
The path north takes it to San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas and Coahuila, where it is combined with roasting techniques and dried meats. In Monterrey, the ancho chile appears in family stews and also in the restaurant industry. In Zacatecas and Durango, the chile ancho accompanies dried meat, roasted dishes, and mining stews. The markets in Zacatecas city and Durango display it in shiny piles, and from there, it travels to Monterrey, Saltillo, and Torreón, where it combines with new culinary traditions. From this route, it heads to the United States: in Texas, California, Arizona and Illinois, it is commonly found in Hispanic markets under the name ancho chili pepper. Exported dried and in sacks, it maintains its destiny of being a bridge between Mexican cuisine and the nostalgia of migrants.
On each of these routes, the ancho chile is not just merchandise; it is memory in transit. It accompanies humble kitchens as well as wedding banquets, ranch stews as well as international menus. Its paths remain open, as if each wrinkle on its skin preserves the imprint of those who cultivated, carried, and shared it.
Today, the ancho chile has also begun to travel international routes: it is exported in modest volumes to the United States, where Mexican communities (mainly in California and Texas) have made it an essential ingredient to keep their home cooking alive. Its sweet-smoky aroma has also begun to be recognized in gourmet shops in Canada and Europe.
4. Uses of the Chile Ancho
It’s used in most of the adobos and moles prepared in Mexico. In the 440 dishes presented in Capsicupea, it accounts for 65% of the chiles used in the described dishes.
Recipe: Pork Adobo with Chile Ancho
Ingredients (for 6 servings)
- 1 kg of pork shoulder, in small cubes (can be combined: ½ kg shoulder with ½ kg pork ribs)
- 3 small chiles anchos
- 2 cloves of garlic
- ¼ small onion (or onion powder)
- A small handful of dried piquín chiles
- A dash of vinegar
- Vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
Preparation: To prepare the adobo sauce, the chiles anchos are soaked in hot water, deveined, and their seeds are removed. Then, they are blended with a little water, along with the garlic and the previously toasted chile piquín. The paste is then fried. Once the paste is well-fried, add a cup of water (200 ml).
Wash the meat well and lightly brown it with a little vegetable oil and salt in a pressure cooker. Once slightly browned, add the adobo sauce. Cook for 20 minutes. The sauce should be neither too thin nor too thick. Add a little water if it’s too thick, or a bit of cornstarch or wheat flour if it’s too thin.
Serve with white rice.
This adobo is simple, but it holds centuries of farmer and festive journeys. It is native to the northern part of Veracruz, primarily Tuxpan. This recipe was passed down to us by Mrs. Coty (3).
In general, dried chiles are prepared for adobo in two ways:
First method:
- Lightly toast the chiles on a griddle, being careful not to burn them.
- Devein the chiles and remove the seeds. Deveining is done to prevent the adobo from being too spicy (optional). The seeds are removed so the adobo isn’t bitter.
- Blend in a blender with garlic, onion, spices, and vinegar until a smooth paste forms.
- Cook over medium heat in a pan with a little oil for 10 minutes, with salt to taste.
Second method:
- Soak the dried chiles in hot water, heating for 5 minutes.
- Devein the chiles and remove the seeds. Deveining is done to prevent the adobo from being too spicy (optional). The seeds are removed so the adobo isn’t bitter.
- Blend in a blender with garlic, onion, spices, and vinegar until a smooth paste forms.
- Cook over medium heat in a pan with a little oil for 10 minutes, with salt to taste.
5. A Traveler’s Reflection
Preparing an adobo, a mole or an chile ancho salsa is like walking through invisible furrows: each bite is a step on the land of Puebla, a memory of the hands that harvested, the feet that carried the sacks to the market, and those who have crossed generations with this recipe. By eating them, you walk through culture by way of flavor.
6. Inspiring Closing
The chile ancho isn’t just a dried fruit—it’s a bridge between the countryside and the city, between the earth and the table. I imagine that one day, at “El Señor Adobo” (Mr. Adobo), this adobo will be served as a symbol: a flavor accessible to the palate of the traveler and the foreign visitor. Because chiles, like us, never stop moving.
I would like to share the inspiration behind my series of posts “THE FLAVOR TRAILS” Globally, a considerable number of people prioritize achieving the goal over enjoying the process. However, in most of my experiences, I have found greater satisfaction in the journey than in the culmination. I would like those who venture out walking to see their journeys as a culinary experience from now on. I am convinced that most of humanity delights more in the journey of savoring exquisite delicacies than in the simple act of finishing a meal. Every time you go for a walk, try—with mental, emotional, physical, and other efforts—to equate the walk with a meal, so that you enjoy and savor every moment of the journey until you reach your destination. The Appetite-Desire that arises at the beginning of a meal is undoubtedly the key to disfrutment and enjoyment. For this matter of Appetite, I recommend my book: “Existential Appetite” (4). Well, this is the reason why I am writing this series “THE FLAVOR TRAILS”. Buon Appetito!
(1) Loya Lopategui, Carlos. Capsicupea. Los Adobos Mexicanos, EMULISA, Mexico, 2017.
(2) Loya Lopategui, Carlos. GOVOT. El susurro inexorable de los Sentidos (The Inexorable Whisper of the Senses), EMULISA, Mexico, 2025. Available on Amazon, Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0DW2PTYNN
(3) Loya Lopategui, Carlos (Compiler). Clotilde Lopátegui Burdick (1921-1999), Esperanza Hernández Bonilla (1919-1984), COCINOPEA. Gastronomía Tuxpeña (Tuxpan Gastronomy), EMULISA, Mexico, 2011.
(4) Loya Lopategui, Carlos, Apetito Existencial (Existential Appetite), EMULISA México, 2025. Available on Amazon, Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0FRDCPX3J