Capsicum annuum 'Jalapeño'.

The Mexican pepper par excellence, named after Xalapa, the capital of the state of Veracruz, where it has been cultivated for centuries. Its silhouette is universally recognized — a conical, glossy dark green fruit, 5 to 8 cm, firm and fleshy. Harvested young and green, it offers moderate heat and a clean, herbaceous, lightly smoky taste — the base of salsa, poppers, pickles in escabeche and so many other preparations that have become classics far beyond Mexico. Left on the plant, it turns red, becomes sweeter, hotter — and dried and smoked, it metamorphoses into chipotle.

A bushy, productive plant — jalapeño loves heat, full sun and rich, well-drained soil. Mature plants bear twenty fruits or more, sometimes marked with small white striations called "corking," a sign of maturity in the green fruit and often a predictor of a slightly hotter pepper. On the Scoville scale, you're between 2,500 and 8,000 units — enough to wake up a meal, not enough to make the table cry.

Grower's tip: In Québec, jalapeño demands an early indoor start — 8 to 10 weeks before last frost. The seeds germinate slowly and want heat — a heat mat at 25-28 °C makes all the difference (in cold, germination can take three weeks instead of one). Don't transplant to the garden before nights are stable above 12 °C — an early cold snap freezes the plant for weeks. Patience rewarded!

• Open-pollinated. Largely self-fertile, but some crossings possible with other Capsicum annuum nearby (sweet peppers, other hot peppers).
• Height: 60 to 90 cm.
• Scoville scale: 2,500-8,000 SHU.
• Maturity: 70 to 80 days after transplant for green fruits; add 2 to 3 weeks for red.
• Exposure: full sun, sheltered from wind.
• Rich, well-drained, warm soil. Space plants 40 to 50 cm apart.
• Indoor start 8 to 10 weeks before last frost. Transplant once all risk of frost is past and the soil is well warmed (generally early June in Québec).