Melissas Dried Anaheim Peppers

Don Enrique Melissa's Dried Anaheim Peppers arrive in a modest 2‑ounce bag that you'd most often spot in the international or Hispanic foods aisle, or tucked near spices, dried chiles, and other shelf‑stable Mexican pantry staples like dried oregano, cumin, and canned chiles. The product reads like a single‑ingredient pantry classic: California (Anaheim) Chile. With a listed 50 calories and 2 g sugars per serving (sodium not provided in the supplied info), it positions itself as a simple, utility ingredient rather than a ready‑to‑eat snack. This is a product shoppers pull for meal projects—think weekend brunch enchiladas, a slow‑simmered red chile for game‑day tamales, or weekday meal‑prep batches of braises and stews. Brandwise, Don Enrique reads traditional and down‑home, aimed at cooks who value authentic flavors and pantry basics rather than flashy trends; its cultural association is firmly rooted in Mexican and Southwestern cooking, appealing to home cooks hunting for genuine chile flavor. The label characteristics are straightforward: a short ingredient list, emphasis on origin (“California”), and often visual cues of rustic authenticity; some packages in this category carry “natural” or “no additives” messaging, but specific organic or certified claims should be checked on the bag. In plain language, these are minimally processed—fresh chiles that have been dried to preserve them. Sensory details: the peppers are leathery, brittle when fully dry, and give off a smoky, slightly sweet chile aroma; they usually come in a small sealed bag (often with a clear window) and are used by rehydrating in hot water, toasting briefly, or grinding into flakes. The ritual of snipping, seeding, rehydrating and blending connects shoppers to traditional cooking techniques and slow‑cooked flavor building.