DeepSummary
The podcast episode dives into the story of how the jalapeño pepper lost its characteristic heat over time. It starts with food writer Ryan Reinhart noticing that grocery store jalapeños were becoming increasingly mild, lacking the expected spice level. When he consulted pepper expert Dr. Stephanie Walker from New Mexico State University, she revealed that the food industry had been intentionally breeding milder jalapeño varieties for decades to cater to consumer preferences and solve problems with inconsistent heat levels in mass-produced foods like salsa.
The discussion traces the origins of this effort back to the 1980s when demand for Mexican food was booming but not everyone desired high heat. Developers like Dr. Benigno Villalon at Texas A&M created new jalapeño varieties like the TAM jalapeño, which had controllable, mild heat levels. These peppers became hugely popular with food processors looking to standardize spice levels in products. However, their widespread adoption has now resulted in the hotter, more flavorful traditional jalapeños becoming harder to find.
The episode also explores the broader context of how Mexican cuisine has been gradually embraced and adapted by American palates over decades. LA Times columnist Gustavo Arellano explains that it's part of a cyclical pattern where ethnic foods are "discovered," celebrated for their exotic appeal, and then inevitably tamed and commercialized to suit mainstream tastes - until adventurous eaters move on to the next culinary trend deemed more "authentic."
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The food industry intentionally bred milder jalapeño varieties like the TAM jalapeño starting in the 1980s to meet demand for less spicy Mexican food and allow standardization of heat levels in mass-produced products like salsa.
- The rise of these milder jalapeños has made it harder for consumers to find the hotter, more flavorful traditional jalapeño varieties in stores.
- The story of the jalapeño exemplifies a broader pattern of ethnic cuisines being initially celebrated for their exotic appeal, then gradually tamed and commercialized to suit mainstream American palates.
- There is a cyclical trend of adventurous eaters continually seeking out the next "authentic" ethnic cuisine as formerly novel foods become domesticated for mass audiences.
- Experts recommend seeking out heirloom jalapeño varieties and home gardening as ways for chefs and spice-lovers to access the traditional, hotter flavors.
- American tolerance and appetite for spicy foods has increased over time, even as thejalapeño itself was being bred for mildness.
- The proliferation of mild jalapeños stems from the industry's desire to have more predictable, controllable heat levels rather than a conspiracy or intentional deception.
- The evolution of the jalapeño mirrors historical cycles seen with dishes like chili con carne, tacos, and margaritas becoming popular and then commercialized in America.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “There was a point where Americans or non-Mexicans could not stand heat at all. But yes, as the decades have gone on, Americans have gotten a tolerance for salsa spice, and Americans are starting to escalate their heat to the point now, of course, we have the hot ones, and you have kids just loving all of it.“ by Gustavo Arellano
- “I think my working theory was jalapeno growing operations were prioritizing growing them properly, keeping them happy compared to us at home, where maybe we go out of town for a weekend and we forget about them, and then we come back and they've been completely neglected, and they become spicier because of that, right?“ by Ryan Reinhart
- “We need a farm to just treat their peppers like absolute garbage. Just leave them for months and months and come back to them and say, oh, my gosh, I forgot we had these, and then sell them.“ by Ryan Reinhart
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Episode Information
Slow Burn
Slate Podcasts
5/8/24