The poblano pepper is one of about 27 varieties of peppers, all belonging to the Capsicum annuum family (although only half of them are commonly eaten by people). Occasionally, it’s referred to by its specific name, Capsicum annuum poblano L.

Many people know of the dried version of poblano peppers known as the ancho chile. They’re occasionally referred to incorrectly as “chipotle,” but that word specifically refers to dried jalapenos.

All peppers belong to the nightshade family of vegetables. They all originate from somewhere in the “New World,” from Mexico into various parts of South America. The poblano pepper was first cultivated in Puebla, Mexico (which is also how it gained the name “poblano”).

The poblano pepper plant grows as high as just over two feet, yielding wide and short green or red peppers. Red poblanos are spicier than green varieties, although they both start out as a purplish-green color before they ripen.

Nutrition Facts

As nutrition goes, poblano peppers are a pretty jackpot item, especially for something that tends to be the shell or add-on to dishes rather than the main dish. Just one medium-sized pepper (around 4.5 inches long and 2–3 inches wide) contains almost ¾ of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A and a quarter of the vitamin B2 you should consume every day.

One serving of poblano pepper (one pepper, about 17 grams) contains about:

• 48 calories
• 8.7 grams carbohydrates
• 2 grams of protein
• 1.4 grams of fat
• 3.7 grams of fiber
• 3,474 IU vitamin A (70 percent DV)
• 0.38-milligrams vitamin B2 (23 percent DV)
• 410 milligrams potassium (12 percent DV)
• 1.86 milligrams iron (10.3 percent DV)
• 0.6-milligram vitamin B6 (10 percent DV)
• 1.09 milligrams vitamin B3 (5.4 percent DV)
• 19.2 milligrams magnesium (4.8 percent DV)
• 0.09-milligram copper (4.3 percent DV)
• 34.2 milligrams phosphorus (3.4 percent DV)
• 0.34-milligram vitamin B5/pantothenic acid (3.4 percent DV)
• 11.7 micrograms folate (2.9 percent DV)