Whole jalapeño peppers pickled in vinegar with onions and carrot slices. Great Jalapenos! JALAPENO PEPPERS Jalapeños - The world"s most flavorful chiles, constitute one of the most representative ingredients of Mexican cuisine. There are many different types of chiles, but the most popular and most used in Mexican cooking is the Jalapeño. Originally grown in Jalapa, a region in the Mexican state of Veracruz (Golf of Mexico), the popularity of this chile has grown beyond its original boundaries. The Jalapeño (a chile of the plant family Capsaicum) derives its bite or heat from capsaicun, a potent chemical that survives both the cooking and freezing processes. Jalapeños can be added to anything to spice it up. The fierceness does not detract from the flavor of food, it enhances its nuances and tastes. The Jalapeño is conical in shape, tapered at the tip, more rounded than pointed. Average measure 6-8 cm (2-3 inches) in length and 3-5 cm (1-2 inches) in diameter. Intense green color, smooth texture, thick and meaty skin, it is aromatic and has a pleasant green veggie flavor, slightly biting. The seeds and veins retain heat, removing them will make the chile slightly less hot.