Spice
Jalapeño
A tier
Jalapeño is a thick-walled, medium-hot Mexican chilli for fresh salsas, nachos, pickles (nacho slices), and smoking into chipotle. Heat is moderate; flavour is green, grassy, and bright when fresh. Roast and peel for rajas; pickle for long life; smoke-dry for chipotles. Red ripe jalapeños are sweeter. One of the world’s most recognised fresh chillies.
Track this ingredient
Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
DriedFlakeFreshPickledPowderRoastedSauceSmoked
Traits
BrightGrassyJuicyMedium HeatMedium HotMexicanThick FleshVersatile
History
MX
Jalapeño-type pods were used in Mexican regional cookery.
MX
Commercial production centred near Xalapa and later northern Mexico/US.
US
Tex-Mex boom globalised jalapeño demand.
Jalapeño remained the default medium fresh chilli in many markets.