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Aji amarillo, guajillo, piri piri — even the names conjure up adventure. And the flavors such chiles create in sauces and other flavor builders deliver on that promise.

“Big, bold flavors are much more in demand by American diners, and anything I can do to liven things up is fair game,” says Greg Schroeppel, executive chef of Pat & Oscar’s, who presided over the chain’s launch of the Chipotle Pastrami Melt and chile-sauce-spiked Bangkok Chicken Salad. He’s also testing such items as creamed corn with roasted poblano peppers.

Certainly, the nation’s appetite for chiles has gone way beyond jalapeño slices on a plate of nachos; no longer such an exotic menu addition, chiles, both dried and fresh, offer a literal world of possibilities to explore.

“Different chiles have amazingly different flavor possibilities,” says Kevin Rathbun, executive chef/owner of the eponymous Rathbun’s in Atlanta.

The menu at Rathbun’s is more global in inspiration, with room for specialties like braised pork cheeks with charred artichokes and pecorino Toscana. There are also Georgia shrimp with Logan Turnpike grits, crispy duck breast with Thai risotto and green curry essence and a best-selling Maine lobster and roasted-green-chile soft taco with cascabel cream and tomato pico de gallo.

If lobster sounds like an ingredient that could easily be overwhelmed by spicy flavors, then the success of the dish is testament to the balancing act chefs achieve with chiles.

“It’s all about understanding the flavor characteristics of different chiles and using them to create depth and balance with other ingredients,” explains Rathbun.

The lobster tacos play host to several varieties of chiles. First, there’s the cascabel, a small, round, dried chile from Mexico with an earthy, almost chocolately flavor and moderate heat. To bring out sweet notes, Rathbun mixes it with caramelized onions in a heavy cream reduction in which smoked mozzarella, blended in at the end with the blanched lobster, adds smoky flavor and a satiny texture. Diced, roasted poblanos add freshness, and the pico de gallo, which is made with tomatillos in winter, adds another flavor and textural element.

The notion of sweetness is very important when working with chiles. “They can be bitter, especially when dried, so you need a bit of a sweet touch and some acid,” says Rathbun. He cites balsamic vinegar, pomegranate, peaches, sorghum, molasses, tomatoes and sweet corn as nice complements. “That’s why you see so many salsas made with mangoes and other tropical fruits,” he explains.