The Wonderful History Of The Spicy Jalapeño

 

When thinking about indulging in Mexican, you probably think about that delicious hit of spice and that warmth that lingers with you for hours. That means you are thinking of the jalapeño, Mexico’s very own pepper. We all know how wonderful that little green burst of flavour and spice tastes in our most loved burritos, nachos, and quesadillas, but how much do you really know about the pepper itself?

We’re here to tell you, it’s someinteresting stuff.

People have been enjoying the jalapeñofor thousands of years, and it is as much a staple of the Mexican cuisine as rice, tomatoes, and corn. The name means, “from Jalapa”, which is the city in Mexico when it was first grown.

The jalapeño has been a common pepper choice for thousands of years as, while it does have that taste of heat that you want from a good, spicy pepper, it’sfairly tame and most people who don’t normally like very spicy things can also relish in the texture and warmth that it brings to food. Fun fact – on the official rating system for peppers, the Scoville Heat Units system, it isdeemed to be about as spicy as Mexico’s additional favourite pepper, the chipotle, and about 1/600th of the heat of the world’s most spicy peppers, such as Pepper X and Dragon’s Breath.

What to look for in a jalapeño

There are multiple variations to the jalapeño, but if you want authenticity – the jalapeño with the crispy crunch and the exact right amount for heat – then you should be seeking for a think, short-length pepper of about 3-4 inches (the jalapeño’s nickname is “fat chili” due to this shape). The traditional jalapeño usually looks the same, and the real deal will also have “heirloom” seeds, so make sure to watch out for them. Some other varieties of the jalapeño, that have been cross-bred or hybridised, will not have those seeds.

The original, authentic, and world-famous jalapeño is still very much sort after. Mexico alone has around 70,000 acres of land committed to growing and cultivating the delicious pepper- that works out at over 20 million pounds of wonderful spice each year! The pepper is also created in large quantities in Texas and New Mexico in the US – the jalapeño grows best in the specific climate of those regions.

We also grow them here in Australia! Australia has had jalapeño farms since the late 1980s after the first seeds were imported into Australia. Victoria is the homeland for the Australian jalapeños.

So, the next time you order your most loved burrito or nachos from Mad Mex, why not consider tossing on some additional jalapeños, and revelling your love for authentic Mexican cuisine with this rich, flavourful, and spicy (but not too spicy) treat?