ancho chile pepper - Pronunciation: AHN-choh These are dried poblano peppers, and very commonly used in Mexican cuisine. They're brownish-black and wrinkled. You will find them in the Mexican Markets orin Mexican sections at even a Safeway here in N. CA. Substitutes: mulato (darker with earthier, more pungent flavor) OR pasilla chile OR California chile OR dried New Mexico chile peppers. I love ancho for the earthiness - not hot but a great flavour. Many Mexican dishes use a combination of various dried chiles for depth of flavour. Poblanos fresh are wonderful when roasted. I roast them over an open flame, peel, seed, and cut into strips for enchiladas. YUM! They can have a bit of heat - you just never know until you roast and taste-always a plesant surprise i they have a little heat. I often mix in some Chipotle (smoked and dried Jalapenos) en adobe into Mexican dishes to give some nice heat. What is nice is that you buy a can of the Chipotle en Adobe (8 oz) for about $1.29, then puree it. Use a little, taste adjust. It keeps in a glass jar in the refrigerator for a long time. I even use it sometimes for Tai food as it is similiar to the larger smoked chiles of the Hill Tribes in Northern Thailand. It is amazing how different each chile variety tastes. Some are fruity, some grassy, some earthy, some front of the tongue heat, others back of the tongue heat, some with lingering heat, some quite sweet. Love capsicum! Shanti/Mary-Anne