Chile de árbol are a Mexican pepper with a bright red color that is retained even after drying (they are called chile de árbol when fresh and dried). They are small and thin, only about 2-3 inches long, and are most often sold dried and de-stemmed. They look much like a cayenne pepper, and are just a bit less spicy – but they still pack a bold heat at 15,000-30,000 SHU, six times hotter than the standard jalapeño pepper. In addition to their heat, de árbol peppers bring a pleasant nutty, earthy flavor to any dish.