Chile Jalapeño

The best-known fresh hot variety in the U.S., and also widely used in Oaxaca—though the flavor there is crisp, delicious, and vivid compared to some of the ones I’ve eaten in New York. Oaxacan jalapeños can be quite hot. If the ones in your local markets seem unusually dull you can try substituting chiles serranos.

Jalapeños are often eaten in pickled form. They are an especially important flavor note in the cuisine of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, where people love the combination of spicy heat and briny tang. Home-pickled jalapeños are the best. Canned commercial varieties can also be useful, but please look for Mexican brands—the U.S. ones tend to be extremely vinegary, with an unpleasant aftertaste.