Unlike other foods, which are no longer served when they lose their freshness, chillies have a life after losing their freshness. Fresh chilli peppers contain a large amount of vitamin C while dried peppers, which are characterized by their dark reddish-brown color, have abundant vitamin A. That second life gives them superpowers and change their flavor, which is why many of them have another name.

If you ever visit a Mexican market you may have noticed that there is a wide variety of dried chillies and that their names are very different from the bright green, yellow, orange, or red chillies you see in vegetable stands.

Fresh chillies are bright in color and have smooth skin; the dried ones are allowed to mature and dry, which gives them a different flavor and use in sauces or other dishes.

There are chillies that are used both in their fresh and dry states and their name changes depending on the state they are in. Others keep their name regardless of whether they are fresh or dried and others are only used fresh.