A small, spicy green or red chili pepper used in many Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes. It adds heat and flavor to foods like salsa, nachos, and sauces.
From Mexican Spanish “jalapeño,” meaning “from Jalapa,” a city in Mexico (now often spelled Xalapa). The “-eño” ending in Spanish often means “a person or thing from a place.” So the pepper is literally “the one from Jalapa.”
The “j” in Spanish is pronounced like an English “h,” which is why “jalapeño” sounds like “ha-la-PEH-nyo,” not “ja-la-PEE-no.” The little squiggle over the “ñ” (tilde) turns “n” into the “ny” sound, like in “canyon.” So the pepper’s name secretly teaches you two Spanish pronunciation rules at once.
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