What makes a Jalapeno a Jalapeno?

fortyonenorth · February 16, 2011

OK - this might seem like a bizarre question, but I'm no pepper expert, so here it is:

What makes a Jalapeno a Jalapeno or a Serrano a Seranno or an Ancho an Ancho?

As I read through the catalogs I see the obvious, (e.g. Jalapeno M, etc.) But there are other listings for "a jalapeno type" or "an ancho type" and so on. How does one distinguish between one pepper and another - is it strictly based on flavor and origin? What's the difference between a "jalapeno" and a "jalapeno-type"

What really irritates me (I'll digress here) is when I buy "hot" peppers at the grocery store and bring them home, only to discover they have no heat at all. Shouldn't these be labeled as such? When I think of jalapenos I think of a combo of flavor and heat. If you breed out all the heat (or flavor, for that matter) is it still a jalapeno?

February 16, 2011	#1
fortyonenorth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NW Indiana Posts: 1,150	What makes a Jalapeno a Jalapeno? OK - this might seem like a bizarre question, but I'm no pepper expert, so here it is: What makes a Jalapeno a Jalapeno or a Serrano a Seranno or an Ancho an Ancho? As I read through the catalogs I see the obvious, (e.g. Jalapeno M, etc.) But there are other listings for "a jalapeno type" or "an ancho type" and so on. How does one distinguish between one pepper and another - is it strictly based on flavor and origin? What's the difference between a "jalapeno" and a "jalapeno-type" What really irritates me (I'll digress here) is when I buy "hot" peppers at the grocery store and bring them home, only to discover they have no heat at all. Shouldn't these be labeled as such? When I think of jalapenos I think of a combo of flavor and heat. If you breed out all the heat (or flavor, for that matter) is it still a jalapeno?