Jalapeño pepper
Capsicum annuum
Moderate heat with vegetal-pepper undertones; smoking transforms into chipotle's deep smoky-sweet flavor.
About Jalapeño
The jalapeño is the small, dark-green chili pepper with moderate heat (2,500-8,000 Scoville units) that defines Mexican-American cuisine — fresh in salsas, pickled (escabeche), and smoked-dried as chipotle. The Mexican state of Veracruz is the cultivar's traditional origin; modern production spans Mexico and California. Despite its identification with Mexican food, the jalapeño is rarely used in traditional Mexican cuisine outside Veracruz and northern Mexico — it's primarily a Tex-Mex and Mexican-American staple. Smoked-and-dried jalapeños become chipotle peppers (chipotle morita or chipotle meco depending on the smoking process), which appear in chipotle adobo sauce.
Variety profile
Common uses
- Fresh salsa
- Pickled jalapeños
- Jalapeño poppers
- Nacho topping
- Chipotle-adobo base
Editorial notes
Remove seeds and membranes for milder heat; capsaicin concentrates in the white pith, not the seeds (though seed removal eliminates both). Wash hands carefully after handling.