People are only just learning what Chipotle is made from

You may be well aware of the iconic pepper symbol associated with the Chipotle restaurant logo. But what exactly is a Chipotle pepper, and how is it made?

This is a question plaguing the minds of many social media users and some have even taken to platforms like Reddit to fully understand the process of making the pepper and figure out its origins.

In the Reddit forum titled Today I learned, loads of interested people discussed the Chipotle pepper. One user said: “[Today I learned] a Chipotle pepper is just a smoked jalapeño. Chipotle means 'smoked pepper' in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs.”

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Other people threw in their own knowledge about the pepper mystery.

Someone noted that in order to create a Chipotle pepper, it “has to be a ripe jalapeño, not an in-season jalapeño.” They added: “That’s where the red color comes from.”

Chipotle peppers, which are dried smoked jalapeno peppers, have a unique flavor profile that combines sweetness with bitter and smoky notes. They offer medium heat and a smoky-sweet taste.

There are various types of Chipotle peppers available. In the US , you're most likely to come across the Chipotle Morita .

The practice of smoking and drying chile peppers dates back to the time of the Aztecs, who ruled the region around what is now Mexico City . Jalapenos were abundant in this area, especially around the town of Xalapa.

The peppers thrived so much in this region that they were named after Xalapa; jalapeno translates as "the thing from Xalapa."

To protect against potential poor future harvests, people began preserving these peppers. While other peppers could be left out in the sun to dry, the thick and fleshy walls of the jalapeno didn't dry thoroughly in the sun, leaving them prone to rot due to retained moisture.

However, smoking the chiles ensured they dried thoroughly without cooking them, while also adding a unique flavor. This process led to the creation of chipotle.

The Aztecs referred to them as chilpoctli. Chil- translates to "chile pepper", and '-poctli' means "smoked."