Mirasol

Mirasol — Spanish for 'looking at the sun' — is named for the fruit's distinctive upright-pointing growth habit, unlike most chili varieties whose pods hang downward. The slender, 8–15 cm pods ripen to a glossy red and are best known in dried form as guajillo, the second most widely used dried chile in Mexican cooking, prized for their mild fruity heat and brick-red color in sauces, moles, and tamale salsas. The fresh pepper delivers a light, slightly fruity flavor with mild heat, and the plant is a productive, mid-season grower suited to open-ground cultivation.

Days to maturity

70–80 days

Plant height

60–90 cm (24–36 in)

Best use

Dried salsas, mole sauces, tamale sauces

Species

Capsicum annuum

Origin

Mexico (Zacatecas highlands)