Serrano Vs Jalapeno
There are two kinds of peppers that don’t really get the individual attention they deserve: jalapeño and serrano peppers.
Jalapeños and serranoes come from different regions, they have different levels of heat and work best in different recipes.
People often confuse them because of their similar appearance and flavor. Here’s a bit of a history and a science tips, so that we may all better understand the difference between serrano vs jalapeño peppers.
The key difference includes following points:
1. Different Origins:
Serrano
The word “Serrano” comes from the Spanish word “Sierra” or mountain range. This kind of pepper grows at high altitudes in the mountainous of Mexican states of Hidalgo and Puebla.
Jalapeño
The word “Jalapeno” is originated from the word “Jalapa” or “Xalapa”. It is word of of Nahuatl origin and a member of the Aztec language family.
2. Different Sizes:
They have quite similar shape but differ in size.
Serrano
- Serrano peppers are usually 1 to 2 inches long.
- They are unripe when green but they can still be eaten before they’re fully ripe.
- Serrano peppers are ripen to vibrant shades of orange, yellow, and brown.
Jalapeño
- Jalapeño peppers are generally 2 to 3 inches long.
- They are usually eaten when they’re green.
- When they are ripen they turn in various shades of red, orange, or yellow.
3. Difference of taste:
A measure of heat called the Scoville Unit is used to assess the heat of a pepper. This is based on the concentration of a chemical compound called capsaicin present in a pepper.
So on the basis of concentration of capsaicin:
Serrano
Serrano peppers clock in at 10,000 to 20,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU)
Jalapeño
Jalapeño peppers have a rating of 2,500 to 10,000 SHU.
Note:
The spiciness of each pepper depends on a variety of factors, such as ripening and direct sunlight, but generally serrano peppers are about five times as spicy as jalapeños.
Tips to choose a good pepper:
Some peppers develop white lines and flecks, like stretch marks running in the direction of the length of the pepper as they age.
The stretch marks are also indicative of the amount of stress the pepper plant has endured.
A pepper plant that is stressed, having the soil get dry between infrequent watering, appears to have an impact on the the hotness of the pepper.
The older the pepper, and the more stress the plant has been under, the more white lines you’ll see, and the hotter the pepper will be.
The smoother the pepper, the younger, less stressed, and milder it is.
WHICH IS HOTTER: Serrano OR Jalapeno?
Spiciness factor of these two kinds of pepper depends upon a measure of heat called the Scoville Unit which is used to assess the heat of a pepper. This heat is measured on the basis of concentration of a chemical compound called capsaicin present in a pepper.
A serrano’s capsaicin concentration is 3-4 times higher than the jalapeno which clearly explains which pepper is more spicy.
But it should be noted that the concentration also depends on environmental factors, ripen stages, color of pepper etc.
How to cook with Serrano pepper?
The love of spicy food is a controversial subject for people who take flavor seriously. Few things can divide foodies more than spicy condiments like hot sauce and dishes like Nashville hot chicken.
Many people truly enjoy spicy food, and many are able to tolerate “hotter” food than others. So spices are a really important part of our dishes. Serrano is one of pepper most loved by spice loves here is how you can use it in your cooking experiments depending on your level of “heat bearing”.
Procedure:
- Serrano peppers pack some serious heat and a variety of chili about 5 times hotter than the average jalapeno.
- Wash your hands and all cutting surfaces thoroughly after handling chili peppers.
- Since much of the heat of pepper is concentrated in the seeds, so seeding them will diminish their heat.
- Cut away the fibrous ribs inside the pepper to avoid the hottest part of the pepper.
- Then You can simply add them with your dish you want to cook.
- Serrano peppers are added to a variety of sauces, salsas etc. They are common in Thai and Vietnamese dishes as well as in Mexican and Southwestern cuisine.
- They do not need to be peeled due to their thin skin, but are often roasted to tame the intensity of their heat and to add a hint of sweetness to their flavor.
- Serranoes can even be pickled quite successfully.
- Fresh serranoes are the stars in salsas, often in combination with fruit such as mango, pineapple or peach etc.
Precautions:
- While preparing serranoes take care to protect your skin and eyes from the irritating oil of the peppers.
- Wear gloves while chopping and seeding chilis to prevent the caustic oil from burning your fingertips.
- Wash your hands and all cutting surfaces thoroughly after handling chili peppers.
Serrano Vs. Habanero: Which is hotter?
Habanero:
A habanero pepper is a small, hot, chili pepper. It’s grown in Mexico and other parts of Latin America as well as in the United States. The habanero pepper is short and squat with thin skin and is usually an orange or red color.
The Habanero pepper has a slightly fruity flavor. It registers between 100,000 and 350,000 Scoville heat units on the Scoville Scale.
Habanero is hotter
Habanero and serrano are not even close in spiciness level because habanero have a tremendous heat contained with them.
Reason:
Chili peppers tend to get hotter as they get smaller and habaneros are typically quite small.
The habaneros have a capsaicin concentration that’s about ten times as high as serranoes.
Habanero Vs. Jalapeño
- Jalapeño is a long, slender, green chili pepper that may turn red if left too long on the plant, which is almost the exact opposite of the stout, round, orange habanero.
- As compared to habanero a jalapeño pepper is fairly middle-of-the-road heat-wise.
- A habanero pepper can be up to 100 times hotter than a jalapeño.