Here's Why Jalapeño Peppers Are Less Spicy Than Ever

D Magazine ^ | May 8, 2023 | Brian Reinhart

[Yardstick]

Throw out those bogus shopping tips about pepper size. Decades of deliberate planning created a less-hot jalapeño.

It’s not just you: jalapeño peppers are less spicy and less predictable than ever before. As heat-seekers chase ever-fiercer varieties of pepper—Carolina reapers, scorpions, ghosts—the classic jalapeño is going in the opposite direction. And the long-term “de-spicification” of the jalapeño is a deliberate choice, not the product of a bad season of weather.

This investigation began in my own kitchen. After months of buying heat-free jalapeños, I started texting chefs around Dallas to see if they were having the same experience. Many agreed. One prominent chef favors serranos instead. Regino Rojas of Revolver Taco Lounge suggested jalapeños are now “more veggie-like than chile.” Luis Olvera, owner of Trompo, said that jalapeños now have so much less heat that “I tell my staff, ‘I think my hands are just too damn sweet,’ because I can’t make salsa spicy enough anymore.”

[snip]

There’s truth to all these theories, but Walker says they are only secondary factors.

“As more growers have adopted drip irrigation, more high-tech farming tools to grow the peppers, they’ll tend to be milder,” Walker told me first, as a sort of throat-clearing exercise before the real explanation. “But there’s more to it than that.”

The truth is more like a vast industrial scheme to make the jalapeño more predictable—and less hot.

[Yardstick]

Turns out Texas A&M developed a type of jalapeño called the TAMII that has really taken over. It was designed for low spiciness which is useful for the commercial food processing industry. Producers of things like canned salsa like to start with mild peppers and then add pure capsicum to bring the heat up to a precise level. But the TAMII has spilled over into the consumer grocery supply chain, hence the more subdued heat you're likely to get from the jalapeños at the supermarket these days.

[kiryandil]

I can make a personal observation on this - I've been seeing (and tasting) this myself.

Serranos and thai peppers it is!

[ClearCase_guy]

IMO, jalapenos are about as pointless as poblanos. Serranos seem to provide decent heat.

[Paladin2]

I want non-GMO, gluten free Jalapenos...

[fidelis]

Best to find a variety you like and grow your own. It’s one of the easiest things to grow yourself.

[ViLaLuz]

I have noticed and wondered why.

[Hodar]

Most reasonable explanation I have heard. Salsa and other companies want consistency in their products. Eliminate variations is key

[AndyJackson]

In other words expand the market for jalapeno peppers to those who don’t like jalapeno peppers by making them not jalapeno peppers. Have we looked overseas for potential markets for shit food like this - Britain perhaps.

[Telepathic Intruder]

I like the flavor of jalapeños, as long as they’re spicy. There’s just no point to them otherwise. I also like habaneros but often they’re just a little too spicy for me. I need something in the Goldilocks zone.

[hellinahandcart]

I grow mine from seed and they’re pretty ferocious.

I have enough frozen pepperz from last year to last until this year’s crop is ready.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Is it because of racism? It’s racism right??

[Fungi]

Nonsense. There are a lot of factors that make a jalapeno hot. Ever notice some jalapenos have black skin coloring? Know why? These guys had more sun and developed that color and are hotter.
Most jalapenos are grown in Mexico. Growers have variety, season, and other factors to consider. More sun, more heat, and if it’s not hot enough, try serrano.
Lastly, jalapenos are one of the most dollar return crops per acre.All green peppers eventually turn red in time, making them even hotter.Touche.

[lee martell]

I’m waiting for some Botanist to cross Jalapeno Peppers with Green Bell Peppers. Two flavors or sensations and all for one price.

[Round Earther]

I have migrated to serrano peppers for heat and kick and jalapeños for texture and a little flavor.

Just remember, no matter what the hot pepper, slice a piece off of each pepper and eat the raw slice and then do your heat calculations.

Also, get a map and draw a line from Midland to New Orleans.

People that live north of the line are not going to be able to handle food with hot peppers.

[DesertRhino]

Good article. Is there ANYTHING corporate America cannot screw up?

[cpdiii]

When young I loved the hot Jalapenos. As an old man they give me grief. I thus do eat the mild Jalapenos. If I need a little extra heat some finely diced serranos do the trick or even Tabasco.

[Texas resident]

That is easy. I grew some thai red peppers and some bell peppers. The were very close to each other. The bees cross pollinated them. Those were some very hot bell peppers.
Tip here: Wash your hands before taking a leak after handling those hot peppers. ouch.

[DesertRhino]

Interesting trivia. Those Red Thai peppers originated in Mexico, as do all chilis. Spanish and Portuguese traders spread them around the world.

[AzNASCARfan]

These have to be American jalapeños we are talking about here. I get mine from a Mexican grocery chain here in Phoenix and they big huge jalapeños and are consistently the hottest jalapeños I have ever had. One of them makes a batch of salsa too hot for most people.

[Berkeley under cover]

yes, i’ve noticed and wondered why. I’ve been adding serrannos to get more heat. (fyi: i was in a non-tourist town two weeks ago in MX, and I was asked by the cook if I wanted a grilled serrano. Yes, I did it, and the folks along the counter gave me a thumbs up. It made me sweat a bit. Great town: Compostela