The jalapeño (UK: /ˌhæləˈpɛnjoʊ/ HAL-ə-PEH-nyoh, US: /ˌhɑːləˈpeɪnjoʊ/ HAHL-ə-PAY-nyoh,[1][2][3] Spanish: [xalaˈpeɲo] ⓘ) is a medium-sized chili pepper pod type cultivar of the species Capsicum annuum.

[5] Commonly picked and consumed while still green, it is occasionally allowed to fully ripen and turn red, orange, or yellow.

[7] The name jalapeño is Spanish for "from Xalapa", the capital city of Veracruz, Mexico, where the pepper was traditionally cultivated.

[10] The use of peppers in the Americas dates back thousands of years, including the practice of smoking some varieties of peppers in order to preserve them; further well preserved samples and genetic testing would be needed to determine the usage and existence of the jalapeño clade and pod type into the past.

Jalapeños account for thirty percent of Mexico's chili production, and while the total land area used for cultivation has decreased, there has been a 1.5% increase in volume yield per year in Mexico due to increasing irrigation, use of greenhouses, better equipment, knowledge, and improved techniques.

[13] According to the USDA, since 2010 California produces the most jalapeños, followed by New Mexico and Texas - a total of 209,800 tonnes (462.5 million pounds) of peppers in 2014.

Jalapeños thrive in a number of soil types and temperatures, though they prefer warmer climates, provided they have adequate water.

Though usually grown as an annual they are perennial and if protected from frost can produce during multiple years, as with all Capsicum annuum.

Jalapeños are subject to root rot and foliar blight, both often caused by Phytophthora capsici; over-watering worsens the condition as the fungus grows best in warm wet environments.

A hot water dip of 55 °C (131 °F) for 4 minutes is used to kill off molds that may exist on the picked peppers without damaging them.

[26] The majority of jalapeños are wet processed, canned, or pickled on harvesting for use in mixes, prepared food products, and salsas.

Common traits selected for are resistance to viruses and other pepper-related diseases, milder peppers, early ripening, more attractive fruit in terms of size, wall thickness, and corking, and higher yields.

[44][45] When preparing jalapeños, it is recommended that hands not come in contact with the eyes as this leads to burning and redness.

[50][51] In 2008, fresh jalapeños from Mexico were tested positive for Salmonella leading the FDA to believe that the peppers were responsible for much of the 2008 United States salmonellosis outbreak.

[57] Guinness World Records recognizes Alfredo Hernandes for the most jalapeños eaten in a minute: 16, on 17 September 2006 at the La Costeña Feel the Heat Challenge in Chicago, Illinois.

[59] Joaquín Guzmán, also known as "El Chapo", the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, operated a cannery in Guadalajara producing "Comadre Jalapeños" in order to ship cocaine to the US.