Jalapeño/Chipotle

Species Name: Capsicum annuum var annuum. Color: Bright to dark green, ripening to bright red. Shape: Cylindrical, tapering to a rounded end. Description: Thick fleshed, the red, ripe jalapeño is sweeter than the immature green. Smoke-dried it becomes a chipotle. Fresh jalapeños can vary in heat, according to growing season, soil conditions and state of maturity. Scoville Heat Units: 3,500 – 5,000 (jalapeño) Other Names: Acorchado, Bola, Bolita, Candelaria, Cuaresmeno, Gorda, Huachinago, Jarocho, Mora, Morita. Related Cultivars: Early Jalapeño, Jumbo Jalapeño, Espinalteco, Jalapeño M. Americano, Jarocho, Meco, Morita, Papaloapan, Peludo, Rayada, San Andres, TAM Mild Jalapeño-1, Tipico Most Commonly Grown In: Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chihuahua, Texas and other parts of the Southwest Probably the best known chile in North America, it is the most popular. It originated in Mexico and was named for the city of Jalapa in the state of Veracruz. In Mexico, only the pickled form is called "jalapeño", other names (above) are used when referring to fresh or dried forms of the pepper. The flesh is too thick to air dry satisfactorily, so they are smoked in an oven similar to a Chinese oven and then called a chipotle. 'Chipotle' is the common spelling for the original word, 'chilpotle', which is a Nahuatl word meaning 'smoked chile'. It is sold dried or pickled (adobado - in vinegar) in cans. Chipotles are a lot hotter than fresh jalapeños because the amount of capsaicin increases with maturity.