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The chile de arból is a long, thin red chili that is ubiquitous throughout Mexico. This dried chili pepper is spicy and can readily be found on most table tops or taco stands in some form or other. Usually blended into a delicious salsa, but sometimes just used crushed as a seasoning. It’s also a common ingredient used to spice up many Mexican recipes.

I first encountered these scarlet-hued blooms at Mercado Viejo in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. I bought some that day and took them home to prepare them. After that, I have seen the flower growing in the milpa, on the roadside throughout Chiapas, and even represented in local textiles. When the beans form, the pods are edible whole, or you may remove them and eat the bean inside. They also have a starchy root that is consumed. Read more about how to cook with flor de bótil.

The chile habanero is one of hottest chilis used in Mexican cooking. It has a distinct floral taste accompanied by intense heat. The habanero is commonly used in the Yucatán, as well as many other regions of Mexico and other parts of the world.