Puya Chili Peppers (Chile Puya) and Others

 

The puya chile is a Mexican pepper similar to the popular guajillo pepper, but smaller and hotter known for its fruity flavor and aroma. Consider using this pepper for enchiladas for a bit more heat.

 But there’s much more to the puya than being a guajillo pepper substitute. There’s a quick medium heat (5,000 to 8,000 Scoville heat units) and a delicious fruitiness that provide the puya with its own unique eating experience. It’s that fruitiness, with hints of cherry, that keep fans of the puya coming back for more. As a seasoning, puya peppers are very versatile – often used to bring that fruity spice to everything from mole sauces and chutneys to burritos and pizzas.

Other Mexican Chilies      from  

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-complete-guide-to-mexican-chile

Fresh chiles often take on another name once they’ve been transformed—for example, red jalapeños become chipotle peppers once they’ve been aged to maturity, dried, and smoked. 
Dried chiles form the foundation of Mexican cuisine, but also offer nuanced flavor to pastes, sauces, and stews.

1. 1. Ancho: Ancho chile peppers are the dried version of poblano chiles that achieve a deep red color when fully ripened. Ancho chiles vary in spiciness, but they are generally mild to medium and have a light smoky flavor that’s well-suited to marinades as part of an adobo, or chile paste. Same as the fresh poblano, anchos also carry a SHU range of 1,000 to 1,500. 
2. 2. Cascabel: Also known as the “rattle chile,” cascabel chiles are plump, round chiles that take their name from the sound they make when shaken (the seeds rattle around inside of the shell). With a mild heat level and earthy flavor, they can be added to sauces, stews, and more; in salsas, they pair particularly well with tomatillos. Cascabels have a SHU range of 1,000 to 3,000. 
3. 3. Guajillo: Guajillo chiles are the dried version of the mirasol chile—large thin chiles that have bright red skin and a mild kick, with some natural sweetness and a touch of earthy flavor. They are frequently used in pastes and rubs. Chile guajillo is a popular dried pepper that is versatile in its use and blends well with other chiles, and also pairs well with chocolate and soups. Guajillos range between 2,500 and 5,000 SHU. 
4. 4. Pasilla: A dried chilaca chile, pasilla, which translates to “little raisin,” boasts—true to its name—dark wrinkly skin and a deeply sweet dried-fruit flavor. Thanks to a heat that isn’t overpowering, the pasilla chile is often used in Oaxacan mole sauces and other complex sauces, registering between 1,000 and 2,500 SHU. 
5. 5. Árbol: Bright-red chiles de árbol are long and slender, and they’re often used to make decorative wreaths or garnishes. In cooking, they bring a serious cayenne-like spice and earthiness to salsas and sauces. You can toast or fry the chile de árbol before rehydrating it to intensify its heat and nuttiness. With a SHU level between 15,000 and 30,000, these chiles are also great in spicy salsas and hot sauces. 
6. 6. Mulato: A fully-matured and dried poblano pepper, these brownish-black peppers are wrinkly and flat. They have a mild spice, accompanied by a smoky, sweet, and chocolatey flavor, making them great for mole sauces. Mulato chiles are also widely used in stews and salsas, and have a SHU range of around 2,500 to 3,000. 
7. 7. Morita: A smoked red and ripened jalapeño, the morita is a common chile found in the United States. This chipotle pepper is smoked for less time, letting it retain a soft texture and fruity flavor. Morita chile peppers are great for salsas, soups, sauces, and chilis, and carry a bit more heat than the standard jalapeño—anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 SHU. 
8. 8. Pulla: The pulla (or the Americanized ‘puya’) chile is similar in flavor to the guajillo chile, except smaller in size and much spicier. This red chile pepper turns black when ripe, and is often made into sauces after being pureed or mashed. Spicy and fruity, puya chiles can register between 5,000 and 8,000 SHU. 
9. 9. Pequin: Pequin chiles are nutty and citrusy, and pack at least ten times more heat than the jalapeño. Pequin peppers can be found in hot sauces, but are also dried and turned into chile powder that can bring up the spice level of any dish. Pequin chiles may be small, but should not be underestimated. The smaller a pepper is, the hotter it is, and little pequin chiles can have around 40,000 to 60,000 SHU.

Peru

Aji Amarillo

The aji amarillo is a member of capsicum baccatum, one of the five domesticated pepper species, and is grown all over Peru. The aji amarillo—a ji means chili pepper and amarillo means yellow in Spanish—is considered part of the Peruvian "holy trinity" when it comes to their cuisine, along with garlic and red onion. The yellow color is quite attractive.

For a practical application see Enchildas recipes.