# Jalepenos and carrots jalepenos and carrots **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 15, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jalepenos-and-carrots-jalepenos-and-carrots/395972 "2007-03-15T00:41:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jalepenos-and-carrots-jalepenos-and-carrots/395972/1 "2007-03-15T00:41:10Z")
Why does my jar of La Preferida jalepenos come with carrots in it? ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jalepenos-and-carrots-jalepenos-and-carrots/395972/2 "2007-03-15T00:46:55Z")
Are we talking whole or chopped carrots? I personally like the taste of carrots with jalapenos, so perhaps many others do too. Are you complaining or just curious? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jalepenos-and-carrots-jalepenos-and-carrots/395972/3 "2007-03-15T00:48:08Z")
They are carrot slices, if I remember the brand correctly. Marinated carrots are tasty. Other than that, I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jalepenos-and-carrots-jalepenos-and-carrots/395972/4 "2007-03-15T00:51:00Z")
[QUOTE=niblet\_head] Why does my jar of La Preferida jalepenos come with carrots in it? [/QUOTE] I thought they were _jalapenos_ (I could show off and stick a _tilde_ above the _n_, but it’s too much trouble, and doesn’t advance the point of my spelling quibble). Anyway, at the Mexican food lunch counters that abound here in the OC, pickled jalapenos and carrot slices is a pretty standard free condiment. I’m going to say because it’s a popular combination to have the crunchies in with the smooshies, and the producers have found that they sell better with the pickled carrots than without. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jalepenos-and-carrots-jalepenos-and-carrots/395972/5 "2007-03-15T01:14:47Z")
Huh. This is the first brand I’ve bought that has them. Just curious, I guess. Is this a more authentic Mexican thing? (Oh, and I changed the spelling of “jalapenos”, like three times. Brain fart. Just looked weird no matter how I spelled it!) ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jalepenos-and-carrots-jalepenos-and-carrots/395972/6 "2007-03-15T01:26:43Z")
It’s a traditional condiment; jalapenos en escabeche (pickled). In the mix are onions and spices, too. The carrots do add a good break of color. Like southern chow-chow, Italian giardiniera, and Indian pickles, it’s intended as a vinegary flavor contrast to a meal. [Here’s](http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/jalapenosenescabeche.htm) one recipe. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jalepenos-and-carrots-jalepenos-and-carrots/395972/7 "2007-03-15T01:32:20Z")
“Jalapeno” is from the area of the peppers origin in Mexico; Xalapa, Veracruz. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jalepenos-and-carrots-jalepenos-and-carrots/395972/8 "2007-03-15T02:35:39Z")
One of our local Mexican fast food restaurants, Beto’s (very authentic), also offers a jalapeno-carrot “salad” as a free condiment. You won’t find it at Taco Bell or Tex-Mex chains, but it seems to be normal enough for authentic Mexican food. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jalepenos-and-carrots-jalepenos-and-carrots/395972/9 "2007-03-15T11:05:46Z")
Hmmmm. Sounds like it’s gonna be yummy on my turkey burger! Note to self - for more authentic jalapenos, get them at Target! ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jalepenos-and-carrots-jalepenos-and-carrots/395972/10 "2007-03-15T14:48:46Z")
This mix of jalapeños with other ingredients is known as [_fruta en vinagre_](http://www.horfi.com/complementos.htm) and is a staple condiment on restaurant and home tables here. Many _taquerías_ make their own and it sometimes includes other types of chiles such as serranos or green papaya slices. If you carefully at the labels of the products in the link you’ll see the papaya. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jalepenos-and-carrots-jalepenos-and-carrots/395972/11 "2007-03-15T15:06:17Z")
Another thing to note… I sometimes get imported Mexican Hot Sauce from the Dollar Store. I’m not sure of the brand name, but it is bright red, medium spicy, and rather thick in consistency and its primary ingredient is carrots, as well. I think I remember Rick Bayless commenting on his “Mexico: One Plate at a Time” series that carrots are a popular ingredient in many traditional, Mexican Hot Pepper Sauces. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jalepenos-and-carrots-jalepenos-and-carrots/395972/12 "2007-03-15T15:28:08Z")
It started with two people, one carrying a bowl of carrots, the other carrying a bowl of Jalapenos, colliding in a doorway… “Hey! You got your Jalapenos in my carrots!..”