Jalapeño

Name: Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) — a medium-sized, thick-fleshed, dark green chilli that ripens to red, with moderate heat of about 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville units. When dried and smoked, ripe jalapeños are called chipotles.

Description

The jalapeño is named after Xalapa (Jalapa), the capital of Veracruz, Mexico, where it was traditionally grown, and it has been cultivated in Mexico for centuries. It is now the most widely grown chilli in the United States, and a staple of Tex-Mex food, in nachos, poppers, salsas and pickles.

Its heat is moderate, with a bright, grassy, slightly sweet flavour, and varies a lot between individual peppers. Fine lines on the skin (“corking”) are a sign of a mature, often hotter pepper. Most of the heat is in the white ribs and seeds.

Main nutrition value

Jalapeños are rich in vitamin C and provide vitamin B6, vitamin A and capsaicin, and are eaten in small amounts.

How best to be consumed

Jalapeños are used fresh, pickled, smoked and stuffed.

1. Slice and add to salsas, guacamole, tacos, nachos and burgers, removing seeds for less heat.
2. Stuff with cheese, wrap in bacon and bake or grill for poppers.
3. Pickle slices in vinegar, as a popular topping.
4. Smoke and dry ripe red ones to make chipotles.
5. Wear gloves when handling many jalapeños, and avoid touching your eyes.

Overconsumption could cause…

Jalapeños are safe in food amounts, with moderate heat.

1. Burning in the mouth, stomach upset or heartburn, particularly in people with reflux, gastritis or IBS.
2. Burns on the skin and eyes from handling cut chillies, so wear gloves and wash hands well afterwards.
3. Burning, sweating and digestive upset from large amounts.
4. A lot of salt in pickled jalapeños, and fat and calories in fried poppers.

GroupsFruit VegetablesNightshade family (Solanaceae)Low fatLow sodiumRich in vitamin CMexican and Latin AmericanFresh

Related foodsPoblanoSerrano PepperHabaneroTomatilloBell Pepper / CapsicumGreen Pepper

Wikipedia — Jalapeño, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalapeño