# Pueblo Chile

Also known as Mosco, Mosco chile, Pueblo Mirasol, Mira Sol, Pueblo green chile.
Species: Capsicum annuum.

Pueblo Chile is a Capsicum annuum selection from Pueblo / Arkansas Valley, Colorado, United States. Capsi’s sourced range is 5,000–20,000 SHU (Official breeder; typical 5,000). Flavor is earthy, smoky, sweet. Used for Roasting and peeling, green chile stew, chile rellenos, salsa, and Pueblo’s slopper. Heat is a range, not a single marketing number.
About 1/6.4 the typical heat of a Capsi Jalapeño (31,902 SHU).

## Heat sources

- 5,000–6,000 SHU · Official breeder
  Michael E. Bartolo (2005) Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station, Colorado State University
  https://denvergreenchili.com/the-mosco-chile-pepper/

- 5,000 SHU · Official breeder
  Michael Bartolo (2022) Colorado State University, The Audit
  https://engagement.source.colostate.edu/tthe-audit-podcast-how-a-few-seeds-and-a-little-luck-gave-us-the-iconic-pueblo-chile/

- 5,000–20,000 SHU · Official breeder
  Pueblo Chile Growers Association
  https://pueblochile.org/about/

- 5,000–20,000 SHU · Official breeder
  (2019) The Denver Post
  https://www.denverpost.com/2019/09/18/pueblo-chile-colorado/

- 5,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  (2020) Sandia Seed Company
  https://www.sandiaseed.com/blogs/news/pueblo-chile-seeds

- 5,000–10,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Pepper Joe's
  https://pepperjoe.com/products/mosco-chile-pepper-seeds

- 5,000–20,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Tyler Farms
  https://www.tyler-farms.com/pueblo-chile-pepper-seeds/

- 5,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Pueblo Seed / Farm Direct Seed
  https://farmdirectseed.com/products/pueblo-chile-aka-mosco-capsicum-annuum

## Heritage

Selection

Pueblo Chile is a selection of Pueblo Mira Sol.

Credit: Michael E. Bartolo / Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station · 2005

Parent:
- Pueblo Mira Sol (Not a named variety)

CSU’s 2005 Mosco release and Bartolo’s later interviews both name a single-plant selection from Harry Mosco’s Pueblo Mira Sol landrace. History Colorado and the Colorado Encyclopedia tell the same story. No second named parent.

## Page sources

- [Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station notice of release for Mosco, the commercial Pueblo Chile strain](https://denvergreenchili.com/the-mosco-chile-pepper/)
- [CSU Arkansas Valley Research Center technical report with the Mosco pedigree and fruit measurements](https://webdoc.agsci.colostate.edu/AES/avrc/pubs/tr07-14.pdf)
- [Bartolo interview on the Mira Sol landrace, Mosco release, and typical heat](https://engagement.source.colostate.edu/tthe-audit-podcast-how-a-few-seeds-and-a-little-luck-gave-us-the-iconic-pueblo-chile/)
- [History Colorado account of Bartolo’s selection work and the 2003 NMSU DNA comparison to Oaxaca](https://www.historycolorado.org/story/2026/05/22/finding-roots-creating-pueblo-chile)
- [Colorado Encyclopedia article on Pueblo chile origin, Mosco, and culinary use](https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/pueblo-chile)
- [Pueblo Chile Growers Association page for the regional crop and heat band](https://pueblochile.org/about/)
- [NPR report on Pueblo versus Hatch, roasting culture, and the 2005 Mosco introduction](https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/10/03/653672186/the-chile-rivalry-heats-up-between-new-mexicos-hatch-and-colorados-pueblo)
- [Pueblo Seed catalog listing for fruit size, days to maturity, and species](https://farmdirectseed.com/products/pueblo-chile-aka-mosco-capsicum-annuum)

## FAQ
### How hot is Pueblo Chile?

Capsi’s sourced range is 5,000–20,000 SHU (Official breeder; typical 5,000). Capsi uses a sourced range and a trust tier, not a single marketing number. How we verify heat: https://web.thecapsi.app/learn/heat-and-capsaicin/how-we-measure-heat

### What does Pueblo Chile taste like?

Earthy and meaty after roasting, with a mild sweetness and a medium kick that is not the same from pod to pod.

### How do I grow Pueblo Chile?

Pueblo Chile: about 75 days to maturity, semi-arid climate, full sun, hardiness zones 5-9.

### What can I substitute for Pueblo Chile?

Hatch, Anaheim

Page: https://web.thecapsi.app/pepper/pueblo-chile
Catalog: https://web.thecapsi.app/data