Re: [CH] Chipotle question
Dave Drum (xrated@ameritech.net)
Mon, 06 Sep 2004 17:50:13 -0500
=Mark wrote:
> Got this in my email and was wondering if anyone has a comment?
> =Mark
> When I started cooking about 30 years ago the spelling was chipotl
> (pronounced chip-O-tul) and they were nearly impossible to find even in
> Texas where I live. Now they are everywhere and they have been
> anglicized into Chipotle which sounds less Aztec (which it is) and more
> Mexican. My question is when and how did it change? I hate to be
> churlishly old-school but are we really that influenced by McDonald's?
> What do you think?
I've seen and heard lots of pronunciations of the loverly smoked
japaleno chilies over the years. Chipotl sounds and looks about right.
But, this is America, where mispronunciation and revision are the order
of the day. Who the hell are those people who originated the thing to
come in here and tell us how to pronounce their words?!?!? Huh?!?!? Just
who DO they think they are?!?!? Huh?!?!? Huh?!?!?
Epicurious Dictionary (Gourmet Magazine) defines it as:
chipotle chile
[chih-POHT-lay]
This hot chile is actually a dried, smoked JALAPEÑO. It has a wrinkled,
dark brown skin and a smoky, sweet, almost chocolaty flavor. Chipotles
can be found dried, pickled and canned in ADOBO SAUCE. Chipotles are
generally added to stews and sauces; the pickled variety are often eaten
as appetizers. See also CHILE.
© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD
LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.
They got it mostly right, I think.
Dave Dewitts' Fiery-foods pages say:
Generally speaking, chipotle in English refers to any smoked chile
pepper. The Spanish word chipotle is a contraction of chilpotle in the
Náhuatl language of the Aztecs, where chil referred to the hot pepper
and potle was derived from poctli, meaning smoked. The word was
apparently reversed from Náhuatl, where it originally was spelled
pochilli. Other early spellings in Mexico are tzilpoctil, tzonchilli,
and texochilli.
The most commonly smoked chiles are jalapeños, named for the city of
Jalapa in the state of Veracruz. They are also known in Mexico as
cuaresmeños, or Lenten chiles. In Puebla, Central Mexico, and Oaxaca,
jalapeños are known as huachinangos, while in coastal Mexico and
Veracruz they are called chiles gordos.
Which explains why Emeril pronounces it Chill Pote Lee
Lots of good information at
www.fiery-foods.com/dave/profile_chipotles.html
--
ENJOY!!!
Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen
Home of Hardin Cider & Yaaaaa Hoooo Ahhhhh Hot Sauce!!!