Chile comapeño: what it is, heat, uses and substitutes

What is it?

The chile comapeño is a fresh variety of chilli native to the municipality of Comapa, in the central area of Veracruz, from which it takes its name. It is a landrace Capsicum annuum of medium size, conical shape and bright green colour that turns deep red when ripe. Its flavour combines herbal freshness with a moderate-to-high heat, between 15,000 and 30,000 Scoville units, comparable to the serrano chilli. It is traditionally grown in family plots and small parcels of the Huatusco-Coatepec-Comapa region, where it forms part of the regional agroecological system alongside coffee, sugar cane and vegetables. Its use is essentially regional: it appears in fresh Veracruz salsas to accompany antojitos such as gorditas, picadas and memelas; in homemade pickles with vinegar, onion and carrot; and in country stews such as chilatole comapeño and chileatole of tender sweetcorn with epazote, typical of the central Veracruz sierra.

Origin and history

The chile comapeño is a landrace variety with a continuous presence in Veracruz cooking since at least the 19th century, according to ethnobotanical inventories of the INAH and work by the Universidad Veracruzana. Although it does not appear in the best-known colonial recipe books, the studies of Robert Bye, Edelmira Linares and CONABIO itself document its uninterrupted use in the mestizo, Nahua and Totonac country communities of the central mountainous area of Veracruz. The Comapa region, in the municipality of the same name between 800 and 1,500 metres of altitude, offers a temperate humid climate that favours the cultivation of diverse landrace chillies. During the 20th century, the cultivation of regional chillies such as the comapeño was threatened by the expansion of more profitable commercial varieties such as the jalapeño, but small family producers and conservation projects of SADER and CONABIO have managed to keep the variety alive as part of the regional plant genetic resource.

Characteristic ingredients

The chile comapeño measures between 5 and 8 centimetres long and 2 to 3 wide, with a slightly curved conical shape and smooth skin. The flesh is of medium thickness, not as thin as the chile trompa nor as fleshy as the jalapeño. Green, it is a bright dark green; ripe, it turns deep red. Its capsaicin content is moderate-to-high, giving it a direct but clean heat, without bitterness, with fresh and herbal notes that make it ideal for raw or molcajete salsas. It is used mainly green in Veracruz cooking: crushed in a molcajete with green or red tomato, garlic and salt for salsas for gorditas, picadas, memelas and huevos rancheros; pickled with onion, carrot, vinegar and herbs; and as a base for regional stews such as chilatole. The ripe red version is used for deeper, sweeter salsas. Its close botanical relatives are the serrano and the cuaresmeño chilli, though the comapeño keeps a distinctive local character associated with its terroir.

Cultural significance

The chile comapeño is one of the regional chillies that illustrate the biocultural richness of central Veracruz, an area characterised by its agricultural biodiversity and by traditional systems such as shade-grown coffee plots. It forms part of the mestizo, Nahua and Totonac country recipe book of the central Veracruz sierra, and appears alongside other identity products such as Coatepec coffee, Huatusco chayote and the regional Jarocho chillies. CONABIO includes the chile comapeño in its inventories of landrace Capsicum prioritised for in situ conservation, and SADER recognises it as a regional plant genetic resource. Although its production is marginal compared with the commercial Veracruz jalapeño, local communities and markets such as those of Huatusco and Coatepec continue to offer it. As part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine —UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity 2010— the chile comapeño represents the importance of landrace chillies and of the Mesoamerican agrobiodiversity that still feeds communities today.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between chile comapeño and serrano chilli?

Both are Capsicum annuum and share a similar moderate-to-high heat profile, but the chile comapeño is a landrace native to Comapa, Veracruz, with a more herbal and less citrusy flavour than the commercial serrano. It is slightly larger, with a more marked conical shape and darker skin. The serrano is produced industrially throughout Mexico, while the comapeño is essentially regional.

How hot is the chile comapeño?

Its pungency ranges between 15,000 and 30,000 Scoville units, comparable to the serrano, placing it as a fresh chilli of medium-to-high heat. It is considerably hotter than the jalapeño (2,500-8,000 Scoville) and below the habanero chilli. Its heat is clean, direct and aromatic, ideal for fresh salsas without masking the other flavours of the dish.

In which dishes is the chile comapeño used?

It is used in fresh molcajete salsas with tomato, garlic and salt to accompany Veracruz gorditas, picadas, memelas and huevos rancheros. It is also used pickled with onion and carrot, and as a base for regional stews such as chilatole comapeño with tender sweetcorn and epazote, typical of the central Veracruz sierra of Huatusco and Coatepec.

Where does the chile comapeño come from?

It is native to the municipality of Comapa, in the central mountainous area of Veracruz, between 800 and 1,500 metres of altitude. The region belongs to the Huatusco-Coatepec-Comapa agroecological system, known for its shade-grown coffee plantations and family plots. Small mestizo, Nahua and Totonac producers grow it in traditional parcels as part of the regional farming heritage.