De Arbol chiles, whose name means "tree like", are used in many different cuisines, from Southwestern, Italian to Spanish. It has a hot and tannic flavor. An alternative to cayenne pepper, it rates 7.5 on a scale from 1-10 for heat. It adds a great heat and taste to stews, soups, salsa, pizza and pasta. The powder and flakes make it easy to use. For the whole chiles, to re-hydrate, soak in hot water or cook as part of a recipe for at least 10 minutes.