Huachinango Chile Peppers
Inventory, 10 lbs : 0
Description/Taste
A gorgeous bright red with occasional white veins or pale markings on its skin, huachinango chilies are four to five inches in length and about one-and-one-half inches in diameter. Shaped similar to the jalapeno having a wide top and a rounded end, this pretty chile pepper is a type of large red jalapeno. Medium-hot, the huachinango is favored for its sweet flavor and rich thick flesh. Scoville units: 5-6 (5,000-15,000)
Seasons/Availability
Chiles are available year-round.
Current Facts
Chile peppers have become the most frequently used condiment and seasoning worldwide, and are considered an important green vegetable in temperate zones.
Nutritional Value
Containing more vitamin A than any other food plant, chiles are an excellent source of vitamin C and the B vitamins, plus provide significant amounts of iron, niacin, thiamine, magnesium and riboflavin. Conforming to today's nutritional awareness, chiles are cholesterol-free, saturated fat-free, low in calories, low in sodium and high in fiber. Capsicums increase metabolic rate and are excellent for the weight-conscious. The thermic effect of chilies requires six grams of chiles to burn off an average of 45 calories in three hours.
Applications
Add delicious zest to stews, soups, casseroles, meat and poultry dishes, salsas, marinades, relishes, dips and sauces. Dried and smoked like jalapenos, this pepper is a favorite for making chipotle grande. To store, wrap in paper towels; refrigerate. Do not store in plastic. To prepare fresh chilies, cut off stalks; slit chile to open; remove and discard seeds. Wash hands with soapy water after handling to prevent irritation to eyes and open cuts. Rubber gloves work best. Some advocate using oil to treat a "chile burn," and milk is preferred over water to drink.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
An essential ingredient in Southwestern and Mexican cooking, hot chiles are favored throughout Asia to add sizzle to sauces. Tropical countries use chile peppers the same as bell peppers are used in the Mediterranean and in Europe. Not only a favorite in most points south, the American Southwest, Mexico and in the Caribbean, chiles are highly prized as a seasoning in the Mediterranean, the Far East, the Balkans and in Africa. Large, deep red chiles of Kashmir are used throughout India for color and flavor, rather than for piquancy. Chiles of Indonesia, Malaysia, southern India and Sri Lanka are generally intensely hot. Chinese cuisine steeps chiles in oil to make a hot-flavored clear oil. In some parts of Southeast Asia and in Thailand, roasted and ground chiles are added to rice to use as a thickener and as a coating for fried foods. Chile bean pastes are extensively used in Malaysia and China. Fresh chile pods are carved into articulate food decorations in Malaysia and Indonesia. Finely sliced or shredded, chiles are used as a garnish throughout Asia. The Portuguese have been credited as being the most responsible for spreading capsicums and other New World foods to the eastern hemisphere. It was the Spanish who discovered chiles in the western hemisphere. In the Portuguese language, pimenta is used for capsicums and qualifies for various types of chile peppers. "Chile" is not found in the Portuguese dictionary, nor did they use the words capsicum or chilli in their travels. It may have been the Dutch, followed by the English, who were most likely responsible for using and spreading the current capsicum names to the eastern part of the world. The greatest confusion is in the United States, where "chili" and the Spanish "chile" are used for some of the pungent fruits of the Capsicum plants.
Geography/History
Huachinango is a name specific to central Mexico, Puebla and Oaxaca where this chile grows. In the United States, California and Florida produce several varieties of chilies. Nearly one hundred types are used in Mexico. Evidence reveals chilies were cultivated eight to ten thousand years ago and were, at first, tiny wild berries grown in the Amazon jungle. The seeds of these tiny first berries have produced more than one hundred-fifty varieties. Chiles flourished especially in Mexico, in neighboring countries, and in the Caribbean islands. Chiles have spread like wildfire worldwide ever since Christopher Columbus' discovery of these hot pods in the New World. January 1, 1493, was documented as Capsicum discovery day on Espanola, now the Dominican Republic, by Columbus.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Huachinango Chile Peppers. One is easiest, three is harder.
Recipe of Health | Salsa De Huachinango |