There are some flavors that are essential to authentic Mexican food. One of those is chipotle. Chipotle is so important to Mexican cuisine that we celebrate it on the same day at Cinco de Mayo. That’s right, May 5th is also National Chipotle Day! At Los Primos, bringing you authentic Mexican flavors is our passion, so we’re pretty enthusiastic about chipotle.
What do you know about this key ingredient of Mexican food? Let’s dig in to some fun food facts!
It started with preserving jalapeños.
As with many Mexican flavors, chipotle goes all the way back to the Aztecs. They would preserve jalapeño peppers by smoke-drying them. This method not only preserved the peppers but also made it possible to grind them into a powder to easily use on all kinds of foods. Smoking the jalapeõs changed the flavor as well, making chipotle distinctively, well, smoky.
It can go on nearly anything.
Because dried peppers are easily ground into a powder, you can put chipotle in nearly anything. You’ll often find it in salsa and other sauces, as well as flavoring grilled meat. Chipotle continues to be a staple of Mexican cuisine because it pairs well with many common ingredients in Mexican food. It works particularly well with avocado, black beans, and lime, which are all very common in Mexican cuisine.
It’s both hot and spicy.
We often think of heat and spice as the same thing when it comes to food, but they’re actually different. They go hand-in-hand, but we experience them differently. “Spicy” refers to flavors. There are many seasonings and spices that add flavors to food but aren’t necessarily hot. When we talk about “hot,” we’re referring to the burning sensation we experience when we eat some spicy foods. Chipotle is a spice that also brings the heat, which is why it is so important to Mexican food.
Authentic Mexican Food and Flavors at Los Primos
Experience authentic Mexican flavors right here in Merrimack! We have a menu full of delicious options, so there’s always something for everyone. Balance the spice and heat of our food with a cold drink from our margarita towers!