The jalapeño is a medium-sized chili pepper. A mature jalapeño fruit is 2–3½ inches long and is commonly picked and consumed while still green, but occasionally it is allowed to fully ripen and turn crimson red. It is a cultivar of the species Capsicum annuum originating in Mexico, which is a bush that grows 2–4 feet tall. It is named after Xalapa, Veracruz, where it was traditionally cultivated.
About 160 square kilometres (40,000 acres) are dedicated for the cultivation in Mexico, primarily in the Papaloapan river basin in the north of the state of Veracruz and in the Delicias, Chihuahua, area. Jalapeños are cultivated on smaller scales in Jalisco, Nayarit, Sonora, Sinaloa, and Chiapas. Jalapeño juice is often used as a remedy for seasonal allergies and cardiovascular problems.
Jalapenos are mostly available green, turning red as they mature. These peppers contain a negligible amount of calories, with only 4 calories in one pepper. They also have less than a gram each of protein and fat and just 0.91 gram of carbohydrates in a serving, making them a good choice for low-carb diets.
Like other peppers, jalapenos are a rich source of vitamin C, with almost 17 milligrams in a small pepper. That is equal to 18 percent of the recommended daily allowance for men and 23 percent for women. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps prevent damage from free radicals, rogue molecules that can cause cell damage in your body. Jalapenos also supply a good amount of vitamin A, which supports skin and eye health; one pepper offers 17 percent of the RDA for men and 22 percent for women.
Read More at Wikipedia
