Don’t let their size fool you. These chiles pack a punch of flavor and more importantly, they have been spicing up Mexico’s taste buds for a long time in many ways.
Different varieties of Piquín grow in bushes that have small and pointy leaves. The chiles are adorably cute! They are tiny and grow to be only 1 to 2 centimeters long, round and a bit elongated. When fresh, they start green and as they mature their color turns to a deep red that moves towards brown as they dry, which is how they are mostly consumed. Piquín chiles have a deep flavor with hints of citrus and smoke. They are a bit spicy but incredibly pleasant.
Chile Piquin goes by different names such as tepín, chiltepín, chilito, Chiapas (yes, like the state located in south east Mexico), diente de tlacuache (opposum’s tooth), mosquito, pajarito (little bird), enano (dwarf), pulga (flea), amash, and chilpaya amongst others…
It’s most common to find Piquín already dried and ground in stores, and that way it can be sprinkled on top of almost everything! In fact, I bet you that any Mexican you may know has eaten Piquín sprinkled on something, if not regularly on many things, from pozoles to soups to salads to sweets to covering the rims of tasty drinks. It is also ever present in street food stands that sell fresh fruits, veggies and crazy corn, where these ingredients are drizzled with lime juice, sprinkled with salt and the ground chile.
Comments
8comments inPiquín Chile
Rosie Wolf
Oct 20
Hola Pati!
Where can I buy a chiltepin masher like yours? I saw it on S8, E10 – Surfside Eats. Thank you
Pati Jinich
Oct 22
Hi Rosie! I bought it in a street market in Mexico but now you can find it on Amazon, look it up as Chiltepin Chile Grinder 😉
Robin the Shipwreck
Jan 29
These are “my” secret ingredient to add some spicy, as I call it, “Ting-Tang” to many of the salsas and dishes, that Pati has enlightened me to try, when I cook for friends and family. Two or three per batch brings an added layer to any dish…
Pati Jinich
Feb 08
Glad to know you are using the Piquin a lot Robin! It is actually a pretty versatile chile.
Sandra
Mar 05
Hello,
Do you know how to make a chile with piquin, garlic, sesame seeds and raw peanuts and some oil but not sure what kind. It is almost like a rub.
Thanks,
Sandra
Pati
Mar 05
Hi Sandra,
I think you may be talking about Salsa Macha, which can also be made with Chile Piquín? http://patijinich.com/pati_2020/2013/11/salsa-macha/
Sarita Szjowitz
Apr 09
Pati quisiera saber si usted sigue teniendo su programa en la tele
pus ultimamente no lo hemos poder ver y la verdad como usted de
sheff no hay otra que se lleve el primer premio.si nos puede desir donde podemos ver su programa se lo vamos a agradeser.
Cinceramente.Sarita Zajowitz
Pati
Apr 09
Gracias Sarita!! Por favor contacte a su estación de tele pública, o donde halla visto el programa y pregúnteles por su programación. Tal vez estpan en pausa antes de pasarlo otra vez: estaremos en prioducción de la siguiente temporada pronto!