chiltepin

noun

chil·​te·​pin ˈchil-tə-ˌpēn 

variants or less commonly chiltepine

: a small red oblong wild chili pepper of marked pungency that is produced by a capsicum (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum synonym C. annuum aviculare) occurring from northern South America to northern Mexico and the southwestern U.S.

also : this plant

Examples of chiltepin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Piñatas dangle above tables, everything tinged with the heat of wild chiltepin peppers. — Chris Malloy, Bon Appétit, 18 Jan. 2023

The most traditional version ripples with the heat of chiltepin chile and has a limey pucker to rival Gilberto Cetina’s tautest citrus marinades at Holbox. — Bill Addisonrestaurant Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2023

Redolent with ghost peppers, Scotch bonnets, serranos, chiltepin peppers, mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns and more, the following spicy dishes from around the world bring the heat in the most delicious way. — Terry Ward, CNN, 27 Oct. 2022

For the Elimination challenge, the chefs are asked to create two dishes, one savory and one sweet, using chiltepin pepper and cactus. — Lauren McDowell, Chron, 2 June 2022

Wild chiltepin peppers, grown on his family’s ranch in Sonora, Mexico, have received much fanfare. — Sunset Magazine, 11 May 2022

Word History

Etymology

Mexican Spanish chiltepín, from Nahuatl chīltecpin, from chīlli chili pepper + tecpin, tecpintli flea

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above