Where The Jalapeno Pepper Got Its Name

Spicy, green jalapeno peppers are heaped on tacos and sandwiches on many, many street corners in Mexico. It's a tradition that has its roots in the pre-Spanish conquest days (before the 1500's) when the spicy pepper was one of the first domesticated crops in Latin America.

Historians say that the Aztec royalty favored drinks made with chile and chocolate, and they say the Mayans used the peppers to cure or treat many medical conditions. Their history books also tell us that the jalapeno pepper got its name from the eastern Mexico city of Jalapa. No wonder the Mexicans get a little testy when someone says something less than flattering about their jalapenos, as in food-borne illness situations. It's almost like outsiders attacking a national symbol.

Not everyone has bad feelings about Mexican jalapenos. Despite food-borne illness outbreaks that may or may not be tied to jalapenos from Mexico, the consumption of jalapenos in the U.S. is steadily rising. Jose Manuel Gochicoa of the chile growers' association in Mexico says, "It's the new fashion. Our exports are realizing double digit growth, but that is being threatened now by truckloads of peppers being held up at border crossing inspection stations. If we can't get the peppers to market while they are fresh, the exports will stop." A lot of people in the U.S. would not like that, so it's a little bit of a catch 22 right now.

Mexico is the world's largest producer of fresh chiles, so double digit growth means huge increases in tonnage. 80% of peppers grown in Mexico are jalapeno peppers. So, if there is a real problem with jalapenos from Mexico, then the "fix" won't be quick and easy. 80% of the crop of the world's largest producer of fresh chiles would be a huge challenge if major changes had to be made. We'll keep our ear to the ground and let you know if we hear anything coming down the trail on this subject. You know us Chili Dogs. We are always hot on the trail of everything chili. Ahwoooooooooo!