Dried Ancho Chiles

Ancho is a dried poblano, and it tastes more of dried fruit than of chile – raisin and prune up front, with coffee and chocolate underneath and only mild heat. It's the deep, sweet end of the Mexican chile range and the backbone of most moles.

A good ancho is soft and pliable. If it snaps when you bend it, it's been on a shelf too long. Stem and seed, toast briefly, soak, and blend – usually alongside a guajillo for brightness and something hotter for lift.