Jalapeño pepper
Jalapeño pepper (lat. Capsicum annuum jalapeno) is a vegetable from the Solanaceae family, which is one of the many varieties of chili peppers.
History
The jalapeño pepper comes from Mexico. And it received such an interesting name in honor of the town of Xalapa located in the state of Veracruz — it is in this town that the jalapeño pepper is grown on a truly incredible scale.
Description
The jalapeno pepper is a plant up to one meter tall with a growing season of seventy to eighty days.
Jalapeño peppers are medium-sized chili peppers that grow between five and nine centimeters in length. And their average weight is approximately fifty grams. This pepper differs from all other varieties in its miniature size. Moreover, each bush is capable of producing two to three dozen fruits. By the way, these peppers are picked when they are still green. As soon as the growing season is completed, the pretty pods will gradually turn red — such fruits are considered to be of lower quality than green ones. They are usually buried in the ground or smoked or dried.
If we evaluate the jalapeno pepper on the hotness scale, then it can easily be classified as a medium-hot variety. The hottest part of them is the seeds, after removing which the peppers acquire a lighter taste.
Another distinctive feature of these peppers is the need to wear gloves during harvesting — they secrete juice that can cause skin irritations.
Application
Jalapeño peppers are an integral part of colorful Mexican cuisine. And one of the most popular Mexican dishes is “nachos” — jalapeno peppers stuffed with meat. This vegetable is also actively added to sauces, spices, appetizers, stews, salads and meat or fish dishes. It is also perfect for preparing first courses. And in a number of regions, these funny peppers are even used to make jam and very original jelly. However, sometimes such peppers are glazed in chocolate.
Green peppers are widely used to add to a wide variety of drinks, and the red fruits are used to prepare a seasoning called “chipotle.” And, as mentioned above, red fruits are also smoked or dried.
The very unusual specific taste of jalapeño allows it to be used in the preparation of some cheese dishes.
Jalapeño peppers are recommended to be consumed to prevent cardiovascular diseases and to remove bad cholesterol from the blood. The substances they contain help strengthen the walls of blood vessels and even reduce their permeability. And capsaicin, which gives this vegetable its characteristic burning taste, is endowed with the ability to quickly normalize blood pressure, thin the blood and protect the body’s cells from the harmful effects of toxins and other equally harmful compounds.
In addition, jalapeno peppers have a beneficial effect on metabolism. And its pleasant pungency promotes the production of the so-called “happiness hormone” in the body, which helps increase resistance to stress, reduce pain and significantly improve mood. It will also help get rid of insomnia.
If you regularly consume a little jalapeno, you can improve the condition of your skin and hair, as well as your eyesight. Having a general strengthening effect on the body, this product perfectly improves immunity, so it is very useful to include it in your diet in winter.
Jalapeño peppers are also used in folk medicine. Tinctures based on it are drunk to improve digestion in general and appetite in particular. And such tinctures help eliminate harmful microbes from the intestines.
Contraindications
Excessive consumption of jalapeno peppers may increase the risk of damage to the mucous membranes and stomach. It is not recommended to eat this pepper for people with gastrointestinal disorders, liver and kidney problems, or ulcers. And if you have an individual intolerance, it is better to exclude this pepper from your diet completely.
