MyTastr

Best dried chiles, according to chefs

One pick, tied to named tasters and public sources — from Rick Martínez. Recommendations come from theguardian.com and nymag.com.

International Pantry · The ranking

  1. 1
    Top pick

    Duals Natural Whole Dried Chiles (ancho, guajillo, pasilla, morita)

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    The James Beard award-winning cookbook author keeps guajillo, ancho, pasilla, cascabel and morita in his pantry and points readers to this New York spice shop: “Duals Natural in New York is good and ships nationwide.” For the Strategist he picked its whole anchos, which he says should feel “sticky like a raisin” inside, with “sweetness and a mild kick” and a brick-red color for stews. Free US shipping over $50.
    Where to buy · dualsnatural.com ↗Instacart ↗Source: theguardian.com ↗

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Questions, answered

What is the best dried chiles, according to chefs?
MyTastr’s top pick is Duals Natural Whole Dried Chiles (ancho, guajillo, pasilla, morita), chosen by Rick Martínez (Mi Cocina, Salsa Daddy). The James Beard award-winning cookbook author keeps guajillo, ancho, pasilla, cascabel and morita in his pantry and points readers to this New York spice shop: “Duals Natural in New York is good and ships nationwide.” For the Strategist he picked its whole anchos, which he says should feel “sticky like a raisin” inside, with “sweetness and a mild kick” and a brick-red color for stews. Free US shipping over $50. Source: theguardian.com ↗
Why is there only one pick for dried chiles?
Duals Natural Whole Dried Chiles (ancho, guajillo, pasilla, morita) is a rare one-pick exception: no second brand sold nationally has an unpaid backer strong enough to rank yet. Regional, single-chain and weaker national brands were checked and left off until one clears the bar.
How does MyTastr choose these picks?
Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.

The tasters behind this ranking

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