Jalapeno

n. small red or green very hot pepper widely used in Mexican cooking

The jalapeño is a medium to large size chili pepper which is prized for the warm, burning sensation when eaten. Ripe, the jalapeño can be 2–3½ inches (5–9 cm) long and is commonly sold when still green. It is a cultivar of the species Capsicum annuum. The name jalapeño is pronounced or (ha-la-PEN-yo) in English, and or (depending on dialect) in Spanish. It is named after the town of Xalapa, Veracruz, where it was traditionally produced. 160 square kilometres are dedicated for the cultivation of jalapeño in Mexico alone; primarily in the Papaloapan river basin in the north of the state of Veracruz and in the Delicias, Chihuahua area. Jalapeño is also cultivated in smaller scale in Jalisco, Nayarit, Sonora, Sinaloa and Chiapas. The jalapeño is known by different names throughout Mexico. Jalapeños are also known as cuaresmeños, huachinangos and chiles gordos.
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Noun
1. plant bearing very hot and finely tapering long peppers; usually red
(synonym) cayenne, cayenne pepper, chili pepper, chilli pepper, long pepper, Capsicum annuum longum
(hypernym) capsicum, pepper, capsicum pepper plant
(member-holonym) genus Capsicum
(substance-meronym) cayenne, cayenne pepper, red pepper
(part-meronym) chili, chili pepper, chilli, chilly, chile
2. hot green or red pepper of southwestern United States and Mexico
(synonym) jalapeno pepper
(hypernym) chili, chili pepper, chilli, chilly, chile
(hyponym) chipotle

A small green chile pepper that is mildly hot. They are named after Jalapa, the capital of Veracruz. Serrano peppers are a good substitute when there are no jalapenos on hand.