The jalapeño is a small to medium-sized chilli that is prized for the hot, burning sensation that it produces in the mouth when consumed. It is a cultivar of the species Capsicum annuum.
In comparison with other chillies, it has a heat content that varies from mild to hot depending on how it was grown and how it was prepared. Most sources agree that much of the heat, due to capsaicin and related compounds, is concentrated in the seeds and the veins - deseeding and deveining can reduce the heat imparted to a recipe that includes jalapeños. The jalapeño rates between 2,500 and 8,000 Scoville units in heat.
A chipotle is a jalapeño that has been smoked.
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