More than 140 varieties of chili peppers are grown in Mexico alone. Those that follow are among the most popular in the United States and used in most Mexican cooking recipes.

	Aji are a South American pepper. Aji is a term used for several different types of this species. Their distinctive flavor rivals that of the Habanero and are used to make extremely hot salsas and sauces.
	Ancho peppers This chili looks and tastes very much like ordinary bell pepper but can be considerably more peppery at times. Tapered rather than square, it is firmer, less crisp, more waxy-looking. It turns a bright red and sweetens up in the fall. When dry, it assumes a flat, round shape and wrinkles up like a prune.
	Bell peppers Probably the most familiar pepper in the United States, the green and red bell peppers are squarish and fist-size. Green peppers turn red in the fall, becoming sweeter and milder, yet retaining their crisp, firm texture.
	California green chilies (Anaheim) Fresh, these peppers are 5 to 8 inches long, 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide, tapering to a point, usually a bright, shiny green. The flavor ranges from mild and sweet to moderate hot. To use fresh peppers, peel the skin from the chilies. When using fresh or canned, taste for hotness - they can vary greatly from pepper to pepper.
	Cayenne, known also as red pepper, is one of the oldest and most widely used vegetables in the world. The plant was cultivated in Peru as far back as 4,000 years ago. In the 15th century, cayenne was brought from the West Indies by Columbus and introduced to Europe.
	Cherry peppers are a very meaty chile pepper that is great to add moderate heat to hot pepper jelly or relish. It can also be stuffed or chopped and used in fresh salsas.
	Chilaca Chiles Look and taste much like the guajillo and guayon chiles.
	Chile de Arbol Also known as the "Cola de Rata". Often dried, toasted, used to decorate Mexican dishes.
	Chipotle Chiles Made from jalapenos that have been dried and smoked. Sold both dried and canned in adobo, or a rich smoky dark reddids-brown sauce.
	Fresno chili peppers Bright green, changing to orange and red when fully matured. Fresno chilies have a conical shape - about 2 inches long and 1 inch in diameter at the stem end. They are often just labeled "hot chili peppers" when canned or bottled.
	Guajillo Chiles Smooth-skinne, brick or cranberry red chiles, a bit spicier than anchos and not as sweet. Because of their tangy brightness, they are often powdered over fruit or vegetables or added to stews and soups.
	Habanero peppers To date these are the Hottest chili peppers know to man, HOT - HOT - HOT. Use extreme caution when using. Marble-shaped chili peppers, ranges in color from unripe green to full ripe red.
	Jalapeno chili peppers These peppers have thicker flesh, darker green color, and more cylindrical shape than Fresno chilies; however, the heat level of the two varieties is about the same - HOT! Canned and bottled peppers are sometimes labeled "hot peppers" with jalapeno as a subtitle. They are always available in sauce form as salsa jalapena, and pickled.
	Mulato Chiles Deep brown, longer and more tapered than the ancho, more pungent also. Often replaces the ancho in recipes. They range in Scoville units from 500 to 2,000.
	Pasilla peppers The true pasilla pepper is a long, thin pepper 7 to 12 inches long by 1 inch in diameter. Pasillas turn from dark green to dark brown as they mature.
	Pequin Chiles are tiny, dried red bullets of fiery heat, adding a unique flavor to many dishes. Crumble the dried pod and add.
	Pimentos: These heart-shaped chilies are purchased canned in the United States. The flesh is softer and a little sweeter than the common red bell pepper.
	Poblano Chiles Dark green, about the size of a bell pepper but tapered at one end, can be mild or hot. Often used in "Chile Rellenos"
	Serrano Chiles are a small 1 ½" fresh HOT pepper. The smaller they are, the more kick they have. Most often used in Pico de Gallo. Dynamite -hot is an understatement for these tiny 1-inch peppers. When new on the vine, they are rich, waxy green, changing to orange and red as they mature. They also sold canned, pickled, or packed in oil. A great source of vitamin C. The serrano is normally about twice as hot as Jalapeno (about 10,000 to 15,000 Scoville units)
	Yellow Chili peppers: Many short conical-shaped yellow peppers with a waxy sheen go by this name-Santa Fe grande, caribe, banana pepper, Hungarian, Armenian way, floral gem, and gold spike. Probably most familiar are the canned pickled wax peppers. Their flavor ranges from medium-hot to hot.
	Tabasco: Cultivated in the 1840s, tabasco peppers are pale, yellow-green maturing to yellow then orange and then red and have a thin, flesh with a sharp, bitting heat. Scoville Heat Units: 30,000-50,000, this pepper is not usually used fresh or dried, only as a mash in sauces.