SERRANO VS JALAPENO
People who love spices are very enthusiastic to learn about different types of spices from other regions. Jalapenos and Serrano are two different spices that are originated from different regions and have different heat levels. Since both of them look alike people get confused between them. Both Serrano and jalapeno are the products of Mexico, but they grow in different parts of the state. Serrano grows in the mountainous areas of Mexico such as Hidalgo and Puebla. On the other hand jalapenos are grown in Veracruz; this was the place where the cultivation took place traditionally.
Key differences between both the spices:
Though most of the people get confused between both the spices there are still few noticeable differences between both. Jalapenos are usually seen as 2-3 inches long in size and are generally eaten when they are green in colour. They often change their shade once they start to ripe into orange, red or yellow. Whereas, Serrano pepper are usually seen as 1-2 inches long in size and are also edible once they ripe. Once the Serrano pepper ripe they change their shade from green to orange, yellow or brown.
Which pepper is hotter than the other?
To measure the spice level of the peppers there is a unit called Scoville Unit which is used to examine the level of heat in each pepper which helps in determining which pepper is ranked hotter than the other. Jalapenos comprise of a rating of 2500 to 10000 scoville unit (SU) whereas, Serrano peppers have a rating of 10000-20000 scoville unit (SU). Not only this but there are other factors that also effect the spice level of each pepper such as ripening and whether the spices were grown in direct sunlight or not. But overall if both the peppers are compared Serrano peppers consist of five times more spice level than that of jalapenos.
Deciding when to use which pepper?
This question totally depends on an individual’s preference. The first factor that should be considered is the spice tolerance of a person. If a person loves to eat spicy food then Serrano pepper is a very good choice for that person. Whereas, jalapenos are a little less spicy and are liked by people who cannot tolerate that high level of heat in their food. The second factor that must be taken into consideration is the type of food that a person in cooking or consuming. If the food that has to prepared will be eaten in raw form or consist of a large amount of peppers that jalapenos will be a good choice for that dish.
Can Jalapeno and Serrano pepper be each other’s substitute?
The obvious answer to this question is yes! Since both the pepper has similar appearance and taste many people substitute Serrano pepper for jalapeno and vice versa. Though the spice level of Serrano pepper is quite higher than that of jalapenos they can be easily substituted with each other keeping in mind the spice level.