Chipotle Peppers

The Peppers

Chipotles, or “chilpotles”, are chile peppers—most commonly ripe jalapeños—that have been smoke-dried. They are typically stiff and brown, with thick, shriveled flesh, an earthy, smoky flavor and warm, spicy heat. The Spanish word chipotle comes from the Aztecs’ Nahuatl word pochilli, which loosely translates to “smoked pepper”. The ancient origin of smoked chiles reaches back to the pre-Aztec civilization of Teotihuacán (located in modern-day Mexico) where it was used as a preservation technique. Chipotles were also prevalent in the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlán (now known as Mexico City) and, until recently, were exclusive to the markets of central and southern Mexico. The pepper has since become a common ingredient in slow-cooked Mexican-American and Tex-Mex dishes.