Chilhuacle Rojo

Chilhuacle Rojo is a traditional Capsicum annuum landrace from Oaxaca, Mexico, most strongly associated with the La Cañada region. Cultivation is typically small-scale and local, and the pepper is rarely encountered outside its native growing area.

Plants are commonly reported to reach around 45–61 centimetres in height. Pods are pendant, usually about 7.6–10.2 centimetres long and 3.8–5.1 centimetres wide, and mature from green to deep maroon red. Harvest is generally midseason, around 70–80 days after transplanting.

Chilhuacle Rojo is closely tied to Oaxacan cuisine and is traditionally used in regional moles, particularly mole rojo and manchamanteles. It is generally regarded as mild in heat, though descriptions vary across sources, so a conservative single-value estimate is used here.

As with other chilhuacle types, Chilhuacle Rojo is maintained through traditional seed saving rather than modern breeding and remains a distinct regional pepper within its native area.