Serrano
The serrano is a small, slender, pointed green chile, one of the most cultivated and widely used chiles in Mexico. It is the standard chile of raw and cooked green salsas, pico de gallo and guacamole.
Description
Larousse describes the serrano as a small, cylindrical fresh chile with a pointed tip, 3 to 5 cm long and about 1 cm thick. It is usually eaten unripe and green, though red ripe serranos are used the same way. It is considered hot and is usually prepared with its seeds and veins, which are also fiery.
Use
Serranos are eaten raw, cooked, roasted or fried; ground into salsas and guisos; and pickled. Larousse names serrano as the most common chile in salsa mexicana, the chopped tomato salsa, and it is the usual choice for green salsas and taquería guacamoles. In Hidalgo, salsa borracha is topped with vinegar-pickled serranos, and Orizaba's salsa macha may be made with fried serranos.
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See also
References
- "Chile serrano". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Salsa mexicana". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Salsa borracha". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.