Chipotle pepper

For those who are fond of traditional Mexican cuisine, the mysterious chipotle pepper is familiar firsthand. Meanwhile, this rather interesting product is a smoke-dried chilli and, to be precise, a jalapeño. The word chipotle itself is a derivative of the word chilpotkli, in the Indian language Nahuatl - that is, dried chili peppers in smoke. Chipotle peppers tend to be used in Mexican cuisine (called tex mex or Mexican-American).

Once chipotle peppers could only be purchased in the markets of southern and central Mexico, but today, due to the popularization of Mexican cuisine, the production of this spicy seasoning has expanded to the southwest of the United States and northern Mexico, without leaving China aside.

Interestingly, the conversion of jalapeno to chipotle pepper is considered a rather long and not simple process. So, jalapeño mainly breaks down still green, but if you give them a term, these vegetables, like most chili, acquire a rich red color. But those fruits that are intended to become real chipotle pepper remain on the bushes even longer, which contributes to the loss of most of the moisture.

Then they break down, and then lay out on metal grilles and are placed in a closed chamber. After that, firewood is set on fire and thick smoke fills the chamber. Once every few hours, the future chipotle pepper is thoroughly stirred so that the smoke soaks the fruits evenly. Fuming continues for several days, making chipotle peppers look like dried fruits. On average, ten kilograms of fresh jalapeños are needed to get one kilogram of chipotle pepper.

By the way, it is worth noting that recently, as a result of globalization, chipotle peppers are often produced with the reconciliation of gas dryers. In addition, the characteristic smoked aroma of chipotle pepper is formed by subsequent treatment with so-called artificial liquid smoke.

Most chipotle peppers are made in Chihuahua, the largest state in Mexico, where this product is also known as morita. In addition, other names for chipotle peppers are characteristic of different areas of this country, including chile meko, chile ipiko and aumado. True, this is not exactly the same pepper - for example, brown or gray chalets of meko, unlike moritas of purple in appearance resemble cigarette butts.

Chipotle peppers are truly indispensable in Mexican cuisine, where this product is often used as the main ingredient, which gives a soft sharpness combined with a rather interesting finish, many dishes. It is customary to add it to the composition of various sauces, in particular the very popular salsa. In addition, chipotle peppers are great for meat marinades.