Difference Between Tomatillo and Green Chile

September 2022 · 5 minute read

Condiments have different uses while cooking. A few of them are used just before serving the dish, while a few are used during the cooking process itself. The natural aroma and taste of the condiments offer to give a delicious taste to the dish that you prepare. Mostly, these are used to enhance the flavour, but a few ingredients in the condiment family act as a prime taste agent too. 

Mexican Cuisine has delectable ingredients available in this category. The Tomatillo and Green chile is widely used in many dishes. They are different from each ranging from their characteristics to their usage too.

Tomatillo vs Green Chile

The main difference between Tomatillo and Green Chile is the taste. The tomatillo tastes less sweet and has an acidic taste attached to it. Green Chile is spicy and pungent. A few varieties of Green Chile tastes like garlic too. The two items are used as a condiment while preparing Mexican dishes. They not only add flavour but also gives attractive colour to the dishes too.

The Tomatillo is a Mexican fruit that is spherical and small compared to the normal tomatoes. It has green and green to purple colour on the surface. One can eat the fruit raw and can also use it in a variety of dishes to add a sour taste to the food item. An excellent ingredient in various salads too.

Green Chile is a Mexican chile pepper that migrated to Spain during the late 1500. As the name is common, it is a spicy pepper that is added to make the sauce and Salsa verde spicy. It is a pretty important crop for the nation’s economy. The colour ranges from green to red as it ripes too. The green chile increases in its spice as it ripes.

Comparison Table Between Tomatillo and Green Chile

Parameters of ComparisonTomatilloGreen Chile
TasteA lot vegetal and is slightly sweet as it ripes. But has an acidic aroma that adds value to the dish.Green Chile is of the chile pepper family and is predominantly spicy.
ShapeIt is spherical.It is lengthier and is straight. At times you may find curved ones too.
Edible FactorTomatillo can be eaten raw.Green chile cannot be eaten raw.
UsageIt is used as an ingredient in few salads and can be eaten as well.Green Chile is usually added for enhancing taste and aroma.
Health FactorTomatillo is rich in Fibre and has several vitamins.Rich source of Vitamin C that enhances skin growth and keeps it glowing.

What is Tomatillo?

Tomatillo is from a family of edible fruits. It is similar to the tomatoes but smaller in size. The green, spherical fruit can be eaten raw and act as an excellent ingredient while added to sauce and salads. Tomatillo’s taste aids acidic flavour to the dish.

The mixture of Tomatillo and Pepper brings out salsa verde and is most common in Mexican dishes. The plant grows in many parts of the world now but a native to Mexico. The soups and jams made out of tomatillo are highly nutritious.

The fruit is rich in fibre. Also, the presence of Vitamin K and niacin makes it completely healthy. The crop that bears the Tomatillo thrive well in warm weather conditions, and the plant does not grow well in frost.

Any green sauce in a Mexican dish will certainly have tomatillo added to it. The tart flavour of the fruit makes the dish excellent. The people prefer eating the ripened fruit as it is sweet compared to the green ones.

The best part of the fruit is, even the ripened fruit can be refrigerated for more than 2 weeks and still maintains its taste and nutrient. It is also suggested to remove the husk from the outer surface and can be stored for a longer period.

What is Green Chile?

Green Chile is a chile pepper found mostly in Mexico. A highly needed ingredient in soups and sauces, green chile is mostly spicy. At the same time, the varieties of chile have different tastes too. But it retains spiciness, though.

The condiment cannot be eaten as a dish as such. But acts as a perfect seasoning agent for several dishes. The rich pepper in the green chile adds to the spice for the dish. As the name implies, the chile is green in colour. It becomes red as it ripes. But the taste of the ripened Green chile is spicier than the green one.

You may find green chile, roasted, or ground in many dishes. At times, diced green chile is used to give colour and flavour to the dish. It is ground well in the sauce, at the same time, diced in fried rice. The vitamin C property that is present in the Green chile gives your skin the glow that you never have experienced.

The crop can improve digestion as well. You can dry the green chile and make chile powder out of it. This can be used in making several dishes and predominantly added to give spice to the dish. One must add salt appropriately to match with the spice to make the dish taste delicious.

Main Differences Between Tomatillo and Green Chile

  • The main difference between Tomatillo and Green Chile is the shape. The tomatillo is spherical, while Green Chile is straight or curved.
  • Tomatillo can be eaten raw, while Green Chile cannot be eaten raw.
  • Tomatillo has a tart taste, whereas Green Chile is spicy.
  • Tomatillo is used as the main ingredient in few salads, but Green Chile is always added to give the right flavour to the dish.
  • Tomatillo is rich in fibre, and Green Chile is rich in Vitamin C.
  • Conclusion

    Cooking is an art, and the usage of condiments in the right way enhances the taste of any dish prepared. The spice and sour two different flavours that make the dish delicious. The mixture of tomatillo and green chile with the right amount of salt makes a perfect Salsa verde. The sauces made out of Tomatillo and Green chile is always excellent for the colour and texture that the crops give. Moreover, the addition of Green chile enhances the taste but never eaten raw as it does not have any other taste factor other than being spicy. On the other hand, the raw tomatillo contains more nutrients than the cooked one.

    References

  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814615300078
  • https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-4557.1996.tb00442.x
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