Cascabel chiles are plump and round and resemble the Cherry chile pepper. Usually referring to the dried form, the fresh form is also known by the same name. Its slightly acidic thick flesh offers a medium-hot rich flavor. Woodsy and smoky-flavored, this chile has nutty and tobacco overtones.

Dried Cascabels contain vitamin A, C, the B vitamins and significant amounts of iron, thiamine, niacin, magnesium and riboflavin. Chiles are cholesterol-free, saturated fat-free, low calorie, low sodium, and high in fiber.

Use in sauces, soups, relishes, salsas, and stews. Ground or powdered, add to tamales and casseroles or use as a seasoning in a variety of savory dishes. Combine with two or three other chile varieties in the same dish for a more complex hot flavor.

Named for its rattling sound when shaken, Cascabel means "rattle" in Spanish. 

The Cascabel is grown in the Mexican states of Coahuila, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Guerrero, and Jalisco. Sometimes this chile is confused with the Catarina chile, whose seeds also rattle when dried. The Cascabella has a conical shape and is smaller in size. The Cascabel chile is also known as chile bola and rattle chile, guajones and coras.