Overview

The Anaheim is a mild, long green chile with a clean, slightly sweet, grassy flavor and a soft warmth. It sits at the low end of the Scoville scale (500–2,500 SHU), far below a jalapeño, making it accessible for cooks who want chile flavor without significant heat.

Origin and history

The Anaheim chile was developed in New Mexico from landrace chiles brought north from Mexico, then adapted by Emilio Ortega in Anaheim, California, in the early 1900s for canning and roasting [1]. Its Spanish name, chile de Nuevo México, reflects its origin in the New Mexico chile lineage. When dried, it is called a California chile. Today, most Anaheim chiles sold in the U.S. are grown in New Mexico (where they are marketed as Hatch green chiles), California, and Mexico [2].

Appearance and Scoville

The pod is long and slender (6–10 inches), smooth-skinned, and tapers to a point; it is almost always sold green. With a Scoville range of 500–2,500 SHU, it is one of the mildest cultivated chiles, roughly one-tenth as hot as a typical jalapeño.

Flavor profile

Raw Anaheims offer a clean, grassy, slightly sweet flavor with negligible heat. Roasting transforms them: the sugars caramelize, producing a richer sweetness and a faint smokiness from the charred skin. The flesh remains tender and mild, never overpowering.

Common uses

  • Roasted green chile for tacos, burritos, and burgers
  • Chile verde and green-chile stews
  • Stuffed chiles (rellenos-style, especially in the U.S. Southwest)
  • Fajitas and sautéed pepper strips
  • Salsa verde or roasted-pepper salsas

In Filipino cuisine, the Anaheim is the closest supermarket substitute for siling haba, the long mild green chile used in sinigang and lumpiang sariwa.

Substitutes

  • Poblano: earthier, thicker walls, slightly hotter (1,000–2,000 SHU)
  • Hatch/New Mexico green chile: nearly identical; same cultivar group
  • Cubanelle: even milder, no heat, thinner walls
  • Green bell pepper + jalapeño: replicates texture and adds adjustable heat
  • Serrano: use less; much hotter (10,000–23,000 SHU)

Cross-cuisine context

The Anaheim is a New World chile with no direct Old World analogue. Its closest non-Mexican counterpart is the Filipino siling haba, a similarly long, mild green chile used in sinigang and stuffed preparations. In Thai cuisine, the larger, milder prik chee fah (about 5,000–10,000 SHU) is hotter but occupies a similar role as a mild cooking chile. Korean gochugaru is made from a different, sun-dried red chile (taeyangcho) and is not a substitute.

Where in LA

Available at any supermarket. For the freshest pods, visit a Latin American market or a farmers market during peak season (July–October).

Storage and handling

  • Store unwashed whole peppers in the refrigerator crisper drawer in a breathable setup (paper bag or wrapped in paper towel inside a partially open/perforated bag) to avoid condensation. Use within 7–14 days; thinner-walled peppers soften sooner.
  • For longer storage, freeze washed and dried peppers (whole or chopped) in airtight freezer bags; they thaw soft and are best for cooked dishes.
  • Gloves are unnecessary due to low capsaicin levels, but washing hands after handling is standard practice.