Chiles come in many varieties, offering a wide array of colors, heat and flavor for your food. The color of chiles can be anywhere from light green to dark green, red to purple to dark brown, orange to yellow, and their heat ranges from refreshingly mild to mind-alteringly hot. They can be as long as 12 inches or as short as 1/4 inch.
In general, the smaller a pepper is, the hotter it is. Still, chiles of the same variety, even harvested from the same plant, can vary in heat, so if you're sensitive to spicy foods, taste a tiny sliver of each chile before you add them to a dish. The majority of a chile's heat is contained in its seeds and in the white membranes (called "ribs") inside, so you can do a lot to control the heat of a dish by removing or adding these seeds and membranes. Just remember to wear rubber gloves when handling these hot peppers, and don't touch your eyes.
Pick a Pepper
Besides the many different varieties of chile out there, most of them come in numerous forms. There's fresh, pickled, smoked, dried, roasted and ground. Fresh ones will add just that--a fresh taste and a nice crunch to any dish.
The bigger fresh chiles such as Anaheims and poblanos are great for stuffing, not only because of their large size, but also because they are relatively mild and can be eaten in larger quantities without making people cry. Pickled peppers are great on sandwiches and in salsa for that little extra zip and tang you're looking for. Smoked chiles come in cans, and are wonderfully convenient for adding depth to stews and sauces. Dried chiles can give dishes a complex, earthy flavor, and roasted chiles contribute an incomparable smoky richness. And good ol' ground chile is great for adding just a little extra bite to your food without going to any extra work.
Moderately Hot Chile Peppers
Extremely Hot or "Call the Fire Department"
The habanero and Scotch Bonnet are extremely hot, offering the strongest heat of all chile pepper varieties!
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