The chile relleno, literally "stuffed chile",[1] is a dish of Mexican cuisine that originated in the city of Puebla. It consists of a roasted fresh poblano pepper (a mild chili pepper named after the city of Puebla), sometimes substituted with non-traditional Hatch chile, Anaheim, pasilla or even jalapeño chili pepper. In its earliest incarnations, it was described as a "green chile pepper stuffed with minced meat and coated with eggs".[1] In current cuisine, it is typically stuffed with melted cheese, such as queso Chihuahua or queso Oaxaca or picadillo meat made of diced pork, raisins and nuts, seasoned with canella; covered in an egg batter or simply corn masa flour and fried.[2] Although it is often served in a tomato sauce, the sauces can vary. There are versions in Mexico using rehydrated dry chiles such as anchos or pasillas.
During Lent, Catholics avoid pork, beef and poultry on Fridays, Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday, so in Mexico the chili may be stuffed with cheese, tuna or separated maize grains, other seeds or sliced vegetables, or a mix of these.