From India. Japanese chiles grow in Jalisco and Mexico’s Central Valley. Rusty-orange looking and often mistaken for arbol chiles, these are meatier and tend to be milder, offering a clean, spicy, lingering medium heat. Japones are used throughout Latin America, and as the name suggests, they are found in Szechwan, Hunan, Thai and other Asian cooking too. Enhance and release their flavor by gently heating them in neutral oil. They complement dishes using basil, cilantro, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and sesame.