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Milder than its cousin cayenne, chili powder is a commercial
blend of mild to medium-hot dried red chiles. The red New
Mexican chile and/or ancho peppers are usually the main components
of unspecified chili powder (versus "chipotle chile powder,"
"habanero chili powder," etc.).
Other herbs and spices are commonly added to commercial chili
powder, so check the label if you're curious. Popular additions
include oregano, cumin, onion or garlic powder, and paprika.
These additions are often included because of chili powder's
common useage in chili con carne.
Because most commercial chili powders include more than just
ground chiles, don't substitute generic chili powder when
a recipe calls for "ancho chile powder," even though
ancho is a common component. The added ingredients actually
make the flavor quite different.
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