Chile jalapeño

A small fat chile, the best-known fresh hot variety in the United States. It is dark green (or bright red when ripe), smooth-skinned except sometimes for small rough striations, and about two inches long. Jalapeños can be quite hot, but the U.S. product is usually mild. Sometimes they seem a little tasteless, especially the ones from California. Many subvarieties of this important chile turn up in Mexico under different names like chile gordo or chile jarocho. It is available canned in several different forms, the most important being pickled (en escabeche). I recommend Mexican brands of pickled jalapeños when you can get them, because the U.S. versions are extremely vinegary, with an unpleasant aftertaste.