Product Description
PURPOSE
WHAT IS IT?
Smoked Serrano is is a hotter cousin to ground chipotle, a smoked jalapeño. It’s also Mexico’s answer to Spain’s hot smoked paprika. In their pepper pantheon, Serranos are the next step up, at 5,000 to 23,000 SHU, in heat, from the jalapeño, making them a mild-to-medium heat pepper.
EXPERIENCE
The flavors of the Serrano, when dried, undergo a radical transformation. They smell more like caramelized tomatoes, embraced by a bit more direct smoke than Spanish pap.
Dry, or wet, the growing seasons’ weather affects the heat levels of this pepper. Drier crops tend to be higher in SHU heat/pungency.
CULINARY GEOGRAPHY
TRADITIONAL USES
- Chuletas - Mexican pork chops
- Guacamole
- Salsa picante
- Picadillo
IMPROVISATIONAL ‘RIFFS’
- Barbacoa y queso donuts - The American stuffed donut goes South of the Border with this spicy Serrano beef stuffing.
- Spicy Caesar - The Mexican (Yes, Mexican) salad classic with a pinch of smoked Serrano goes into outer orbit!
- Pad Puebla - My Thai-Mexican crossover is a stir-fried fusion Asian-Mexi “pad thai” noodle with with chicken, calabacitas, scallions, and a a creamy
- Tomato that’s still Thai sweet, but with more Latin spice mix, fronted by Serrano smoked chili powder for medium heat lovers
- Cassoulet Fernando - The classic French bean and meat dish made with Mexican chorizo, stewed chicken, and a blend of herbs and spices from both traditions.
POWDER or POD?
If you’re reading through all of the powders, my apologies for my broken record moment: The whole dried pods, and a good coffee, or spice grinder, works better, IMHO. The pod keeps the essential oils of the chiles trapped inside. Powder loses potency over time, pretty quickly, depending upon how you store it. If you make big recipes, or spice blends, then this is a go-to. If not, consider the whole pepper.
THE BACKSTORY
The Serrano pepper originated in the Sierras, a mountainous region of Mexico, near northern Puebla and Hidalgo, Mexico. The name of the pepper pays homage to the mountain range.
AKA
- English: Smoked serrano chile (powder)
- Spanish: Chile serrano ahumado (en polvo)
- French: Piment serrano fumé (en poudre)
- Portuguese: Pimenta serrano defumada (em pó)
- Italian: Peperoncino serrano affumicato (in polvere)
- German: Geräuchertes Serrano-Chilipulver
- Dutch: Gerookt serrano-chilipoeder
- Swedish: Rökt serrano-chilipulver
- Norwegian: Røkt serrano-chilipulver
- Danish: Røget serrano-chilipulver
- Finnish: Savustettu serrano-chilijauhe
- Polish: Wędzony serrano chili (w proszku)
- Czech: Uzené serrano chilli (prášek)
- Slovak: Údené serrano chilli (prášok)
- Hungarian: Füstölt serrano chili (por)
- Romanian: Ardei iute serrano afumat (pudră)
- Bulgarian: Пушен серано лют пипер (на прах)
- Greek: Καπνιστή πιπεριά serrano (σε σκόνη)
- Russian: Копчёный перец чили серрано (порошок)
- Ukrainian: Копчений перець чилі серрано (порошок)
- Serbian / Croatian / Bosnian: Dimljeni serrano čili (u prahu)
- Slovenian: Dimljeni serrano čili (v prahu)
- Turkish: Füme serrano biber tozu
- Arabic: فلفل سيرانو مدخن (بودرة)
- Hebrew: פלפל סרנו מעושן (אבקה)
- Persian (Farsi): پودر فلفل سرانو دودی
- Hindi: स्मोक्ड सेरानो मिर्च पाउडर
- Urdu: اسموکڈ سیرانو مرچ پاؤڈر
- Bengali: স্মোকড সেরানো মরিচ গুঁড়ো
- Tamil: புகைபட்ட செரானோ மிளகாய் பொடி
- Thai: ผงพริกเซอร์ราโนรมควัน
- Vietnamese: Bột ớt serrano xông khói
- Indonesian: Bubuk cabai serrano asap
- Malay: Serbuk cili serrano salai (asap)
- Chinese (Simplified): 烟熏塞拉诺辣椒粉
- Chinese (Traditional): 煙燻塞拉諾辣椒粉
- Japanese: 燻製セラーノチリパウダー
- Korean: 훈제 세라노 고추가루
- Swahili: Unga wa pilipili serrano iliyovutwa moshi
- Amharic: የተጨሰ ሴራኖ ቺሊ ፓውደር
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