Recently you can also get the gourmet article Chipotle in our online shop. But what exactly is this spice? We want to explain this to you in the following blog post.
Basically, the chipotle is nothing more than a dried and smoked jalapeńo. It comes from Mexico and Central America. Here, the indigenous people collected chillies over 9000 years ago and ate them. The Aztecs quickly realized that the jalapeńo was quickly rotting through its thick-walled flesh. To preserve the chilli in the long term, dig two pits in the ground and connect them through a small underground tunnel. In the first pit a fire was made with the wood of the Mesquite tree. Above the second pit was a small grid made of wood or metal on which the chillies were placed. A draft draws the smoke from the first pit through the tunnel into the second pit. In this way, the chilies were smoked and made so durable. The now shriveled and deep red jalapeńo is called Chipotle. Due to the drying process, the chipotle gains significantly more sharpness than the fresh jalapeńos. At the time, fish and meat were preserved using the same process. It is believed that the Chipotle found its way to Europe via the navigator Christoph Columbus.
Traditional methods are still used today to manufacture the chipotle. The jalapeńos are harvested deep red and placed in a smokehouse. The residual moisture disappears after a few days. Whether in this way or in the very traditional way, the Mesquite wood is used in both processes. This gives the Chipotle its unmistakable fruity-spicy taste and its distinctive smoky aroma, which distinguishes it particularly from the original Jalapeńo. Due to the harvest, the smoked chillies have a hotness of 20,000 to 25,000 Scoville. Due to its mild spiciness, it is also suitable for those who are less used to chilli.
Many of you are now wondering how to use the chipotle in the kitchen. In their home country they are used for salsas, sauces, scrambled eggs, vegetables and even brownies.
Tip: For dips and salsas, soak the chipotle in warm water for 5 minutes.
