[CH] RE: Chipotle - Nitpicking Etymology
George Nelson (70431.3065@compuserve.com)
Sun, 5 Mar 2000 13:01:03 -0500
Dave Anderson wrote:
"Your Chipotles in Adobo are probably smoked Jalapenos. The two
most common smoked Jalapenos are Tipico and Morita. Tipico is
smoked for a longer time and is richer in flavor and is more
expensive. It is almost never exported. Morita is smoked for a
shorter time and is often marketed as Tipico. Welcome to the
world of Chile fraud:-)."
Mark Miller mentions a "Mora" in _The_Great_Chile_Book_ as well as the
"Morita." On p. 100 he indicates they both are smoked jalapenos, but the
diameters he gives for "Morita" are a bit narrower (0.375") than those for
"Mora" (0.50 to 0.75"). In addition, the illustration on the facing page
101 shows the "Moritas" have proportions more like dried serranos rather
than jalapenos.
The ending "-ita" is clearly a diminutive suggesting "smaller Mora," but
how does that get to be? Do these start out as smaller-variety jalapenos
that ripen before they get typical size? Could Moritas be smoked, ripe
serranos?
One other question deals with whether unripe jalapenos are used for
smoking. What might these be called?
Whatever the answer to these questions, Dave's lead sentence is apt: "Good
question, and there are possibly several answers depending on where in
Chiledom you are."
I guess that is my license to call my home-smoked ripe serranos "Moritas"
and home-smoked ripe jalapenos "Moras."
George Nelson