The Pasilla Negro is an elongated, flat chile and measures 6 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. The Pasilla's wrinkled body curves into an arc. The color is a dark purple-black, similar to the color of an eggplant or a raisin. This thin-fleshed chile has a berry flavor with herbaceous tones. The word "pasilla" comes from the word "pasa" which means "little black raisin". Pasilla Negros, combined with the ancho and guajillo chiles, forms the "Holy Trinity" of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces. This is a medium hot chile and is a 3 to 5 on the heat scale. Scoville heat units 1,000 to 2,000.
