Chipotle
chilies are smoked jalapeno
chilies.
Chipotles
date back to a region that is now northern Mexico City, prior
to
the Aztec civilization. It is conjecture that the Aztecs
smoked
the chilies because the thick, fleshy jalapeno was difficult to dry and
prone to rot. The Aztecs used the same "smoke drying" process
for
the chilies as they used for drying meats. This smoking
allowed
the chilies to be stored for a substantial period of time.
Today
chipotles are used widely throughout Mexico as well as in the United
States. Quite popular in the South Western U.S. and
California,
the chipotle measures between 5,000 and 10,000 Shu's on the Scoville
scale.
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