When you think of Mexican food, you probably imagine a spicy, warm sensation that comes with it that lasts for hours. That’s the jalapeño, Mexico’s chilli. We all love that tiny green explosion of flavour and fire in our burritos, nachos, and quesadillas, but how much do you know about the pepper itself?
The Jalapeño is as much a part of Mexican cuisine as rice, maize, or tomatoes. Its name means “from Jalapa,” the place in Mexico where it was initially grown.
Jalapeño is 1/600th the intensity of the world’s spiciest peppers like Pepper X and Dragon’s Breath on the Scoville Heat Units (SHU) ranking scale.
These peppers range from 2,500 to 8,000 SHU. It isn’t that spicy for the experienced chilli head compared to habaneros, scotch bonnets, ghost chillies, and other more pungent peppers. Because of this, they are simpler to consume and prepare with. Unlike some other hot peppers, jalapeño is widely accessible. If the pepper is still excessively spicy, remove the seeds and inner membrane.
Varieties
The iconic spicy chilli pepper comes in a variety of flavours, looks, and cultivation requirements. Among the most popular kinds are:
Mucho Nacho Jalapeño
The typical jalapeño is four inches long and has more smokiness but less heat.
Fresno Chili
It is milder, with an average SHU of 300-400. It takes longer to mature, although they are generally just two inches long.
Sierra Fuego
It takes about 80 days to mature. But patience will reward you with an abundant pepper bush! Sierra Fuego shrubs yield more pods than jalapeño and have a lesser heat.
Senorita
It is a hot pepper, generally 5,000 SHU, and vivid red when completely mature after 80 days.
Purple Jalapeño
It is twice as fiery as the standard pepper. Although hotter, there is also sweetness.
Coolapeno
It is hybrid and called a “heatless jalapeño.” If you don’t like spicy dishes but want to experience the jalapeño’s excitement, you can try this.
Growing Jalapeño Peppers
These peppers thrive at temperatures between 75 and 85°F and need a sound drainage system (do not overdo the watering). It usually matures in around 70 days. The green peppers become red, and the colour change might occur after picking. Red peppers taste fruitier than green, even though they are not hotter.
Recipes
Jalapeños are a mainstay in Latino cooking, and you’ll find them in Thai and Tex-Mex recipes. Grilled and stuffed peppers are tasty. Other peppers are too spicy to eat whole, but not this one!
It’s delicious when breaded or fried. If you’re feeling very daring, you can eat it raw. These are often seen in salsas or guacamole. You can also enjoy them smoked, dried, or pickled.
Jalapeños are an ingredient in the renowned fiery Sriracha hot sauce, while Chipotle is made by smoking ripe peppers until they are scorched.
Health Benefits
The jalapeño is not only tasty but also healthy. It includes vitamins A, B6, C, and K. These peppers are also high in antioxidants and have some fibre, folate, and magnesium necessary for optimal health.
Like other chilli peppers, jalapeño contains capsaicin (the pepper’s heat source) and offers several health advantages. Capsaicin stimulates weight reduction, improves immunity, and releases endorphins and dopamine.
The jalapeño, considered the world’s favourite chilli pepper, has nothing to prove. If you want to try spicy meals, this is the pepper to start with! If you don’t like spicy food, you’ll probably appreciate this chilli’s smokey taste.
