Jalapeno Peppers

The Peppers

One of the most well-known chile peppers, the jalapeño (known in Mexico as huachinango, chiles gordo, and Lenten chile) is named after the Mexican city of Xalapa; while the chile is no longer commercially grown there, the name reflects its Mexican origins. Measuring between 2,500 and 10,000 Scoville Heat Units, this widely recognizable pendant-shaped chile ripens from green to red and varies from mild to hot depending on how it is cultivated and prepared. Jalapeños closely resemble the cuaresmeño chile pepper and varieties are produced in both Mexico and the southwestern United States. They are commonly eaten raw, pickled, or smoked-dried, a process that creates chipotles.