The Anaheim chile is a type of chile pepper that is about a 6" in length, is green in color, and has a mild to medium-hot flavor. It is sold fresh and is also available roasted, dried, or canned. As the Anaheim chile ripens it turns bright red.
When the Anaheim chile is dried, it turns a dark burgundy color. It is sometimes referred to as the New Mexico chile, but the actual New Mexico chiles are a bit hotter. When canned, this chile is typically labeled simply as "green chiles". Anaheim chiles are a good complement to egg dishes, stews, and vegetable dishes. See more about uses and preparation below.
Anaheim's are very popular in Southwestern US Cuisine.Also called "New Mexican Chile". These were developed by Dr. Fabian Garcia in New Mexico about 100 yrs ago who was seeking a chile pepper that was bigger, fleshier, and milder. They got the name "Anaheim" when a farmer named Emilio Ortega brought these seeds to the Anaheim area in the early 1900's. This chile can be roasted and peeled and used in recipes or stuffed to make chile rellenos just as the Poblano Chile. (baileyfarmsinc.com)
If you don't have Anaheim chiles you can substitute:
Because the skin of the Anaheim is a little tough this chile should be charred (blistered) on a hot skillet or comal (see how to roast fresh chile peppers).