Jalapeño facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jalapeño |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Division: | |
| Class: | |
| Subclass: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: |
C. annuum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Capsicum annuum |
|
The jalapeño is a popular type of pepper that comes from Mexico. It's part of the same plant family as other chili peppers. You say its name like hala-PEE-nyo. It's a small to medium-sized pepper known for the warm, sometimes hot, feeling it gives your mouth when you eat it.
Jalapeños are usually picked and eaten when they are still green. But if you let them ripen fully, they can turn red, orange, or yellow.
Contents
History of the Jalapeño
The jalapeño gets its name from the city of Xalapa, Veracruz in Mexico. This is where these peppers were traditionally grown.
The Aztec people were using jalapeños long before the Spanish arrived in the Americas. Aztec markets sold fresh chilies, along with chipotles (which are smoked jalapeños). They also made mole sauce using chipotles.
People in the Americas have been using peppers for thousands of years. They even learned to smoke some types of peppers to keep them fresh longer. In 1999, farmers in Mexico grew jalapeños on about 107,000 acres of land. Most of these farms were in the Paloapán river basin in Veracruz and near Delicias, Chihuahua.
What Makes Jalapeños Special?
Compared to other chili peppers, the heat of a jalapeño can be different. It can range from mild to quite hot. This depends on how it was grown and how it's prepared. The heat comes from a chemical called capsaicin. Most of this heat is found in the seeds and the white parts inside the pepper, called veins. If you remove the seeds and veins, the pepper will be less spicy.
Some types of jalapeños have been grown to be sweet. They look and taste like a jalapeño but have no heat at all! These are great for making mild salsas or dishes for people who don't like spicy food.
Jalapeños also have a unique, slightly tangy taste. Their heat level is measured using something called the Scoville scale. Jalapeños usually rate between 2,500 and 8,000 Scoville units.
Safety Tip: Handling fresh jalapeños can sometimes make your skin feel like it's burning. It's a good idea to wear gloves, like latex or vinyl gloves, when you are cutting or seeding them. And always remember not to touch your eyes after handling hot peppers!
Popular Jalapeño Dishes
Jalapeños are used in many yummy dishes around the world:
- Stuffed jalapeños are fresh jalapeños that have been hollowed out. They are then filled with things like seafood, meat, chicken, or cheese. You can eat them cooked or raw.
- Pickled jalapeños are sliced or whole peppers preserved in vinegar. They are often served hot or cold on top of nachos. Nachos are tortilla chips with melted cheese, a classic Tex-Mex dish.
- Chipotles are actually ripe jalapeños that have been smoked. This gives them a deep, smoky flavor.
- Jalapeño jelly is a sweet and spicy spread. It's made using fruit jelling methods.
- Jalapeño poppers are a popular appetizer. They are jalapeños stuffed with cheese (often cheddar or cream cheese). Then they are breaded or wrapped in bacon and cooked until crispy.
- Armadillo eggs are like a bigger version of jalapeño poppers. They are jalapeños stuffed with cheese, covered in seasoned sausage meat, and then wrapped in bacon. These are usually grilled.
- Chiles toreados are fresh jalapeños cooked in oil until their skin gets bubbly. Sometimes, melted cheese is put on top.
- Texas toothpicks are thin strips of jalapeños and onions. They are lightly breaded and then deep-fried until crunchy.
- Chopped jalapeños are a common ingredient in many salsas and chilis.
- You'll often find jalapeño slices in Vietnamese dishes like pho soup and bánh mì sandwiches. They are also a popular topping for sandwiches and pizza in Western countries.
Jalapeños in Culture
The jalapeño is so important in Texas that it was made the official state pepper in 1995!
Did you know that jalapeños were the first peppers to go to space? This happened in 1982 on the Space Shuttle Columbia. Jalapeños are good for space travel because they stay fresh for a long time and don't have a strong smell.
There are even world records for eating jalapeños!
- The Guinness World Records for most jalapeños eaten in one minute is 16. Alfredo Hernandes set this record on September 17, 2006, in Chicago, USA.
- Patrick Bertoletti holds two records for eating pickled jalapeños for Major League Eating. He ate 275 in 8 minutes on May 1, 2011. He also ate 191 in 6.5 minutes on September 16, 2007.
Images for kids
-
Five (5) Jalapeño peppers
-
Maturing jalapeño in a planter box
-
A jalapeño plant with pods
-
Ripened jalapeños
See also
In Spanish: Chile jalapeño para niños
