Cayenne is very shiny-skinned, four to six inches long, and slender, tapering to a point, with marked heat. Cayenne is the most common chile in the Subcontinent, and the most commonly called for in this book. It is milder when green and immature, the form in which it is most often called for in these recipes; when ripe it is a strong red color (see photograph). In cookbooks from the Subcontinent, fresh green cayennes are commonly called green chiles and ripe ones are red chiles. Jalapeño chiles can be substituted: two jalapeños for each green cayenne chile, with a lessening of heat and a slightly different flavor. Serrano chiles can be substituted one for one when red cayenne chiles are called for in these recipes. See also cayenne powder.
