Serrano means “highland” or “mountain” in Spanish so the name of the Serrano chili pepper denotes its origin in mountainous regions. Although similar to a jalapeno, they are smaller, and hotter, and many people find them to have a fuller and more herbaceous flavor. Read on to find out more about these commonly available peppers and to learn about their Scoville Heat Unit rating.
The serrano is probably the hottest fresh chili that is commonly available in the United States, although it is not as widely available as in Mexico. Although to chili pepper aficionados this is only a moderately hot chili pepper, to the casual eater this little chili packs a fiery punch. These peppers are usually eaten fresh, and resemble a thinner jalapeno, but they are hotter. The pods are from one to four inches long and about 1/2 inch thick, with most pods being on the smaller side (1-2 inches). Immature pods are a light to deep green and they mature to red.
It is a popular chile in Mexican and Southwestern cuisine, where it is often used raw, and often found in fresh salsa. Whether raw or cooked, it is always used fresh, since it does not dry well, its flesh being too thick and “meaty.” It is also sometimes found pickled, like the jalapeno.
In Mexico, the Serrano is often called simply chile verde, which means “green chile.” The Serrano is also used in Thai cooking. The serrano chili pepper probably originated in the mountains of Northern Puebla and Hidalgo.
Serrano Chili Pepper Scoville Rating
Although a range of different Scoville ratings are given, up to 25,000, they usually cap off at 23,000. The Scoville ratings of individual Serrano peppers can range from 5000 to 23,000 Scoville Units. The familiar Jalapeno is only 2,000 to 8,000 Scoville Heat Units, making its near lookalike, the Serrano, quite a bit hotter.
Serrano chilis are a pepper of choice for making pico de gallo, or fresh salsa.