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State Symbols
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Official state symbols represent the cultural heritage
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Texas Symbols
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Texas State Pepper
Jalapeno
(Capsicum annum)
Adopted in May 10, 1995.
The Texas State Pepper, Capsicum annum, was adopted in May 10, 1995.
Texas Legislature
GOVERNMENT CODE
CHAPTER 3101. STATE SYMBOLS
State Pepper
JalapenoHouse Concurrent Resolution 105, 74th Legislature, Regular Session (1995)
Symbols that represent
the Southwest in homes across the United States and beyond are somewhat hot. New Mexico adopted the chili (or chile)
and frijoles (pinto beans) as its state vegetables because they are often eaten together. Not to be outdone, the
jalapeņo pepper was designated the official state pepper by the 74th Legislature in 1995. A no-brainer on this one.
The jalapeno pepper in a hotly uncontested race. In 1997, they crowned the chiltepin their official "native pepper."
The popularity of hot peppers has been growing since Columbus introduced them to the Americas. Within a century,
hot chilies enhanced meals worldwide. The United State's demand for jalapeņos keeps rising 50 to 20 percent a year
due to the popularity of Mexican and Tex Mex foods. Americans' consumption of jalapeņo-flavored tortilla and potatoe
chips in 1991 came to 17 million pounds which makes this a valuable crop in Texas and the United States. The demand
for this crop keeps increasing as grocery stores demand more jalapeņos to stockpile on their shelves. Most Texas
grown jalapeņos end up in salsas or hot sauces. National sauce sales research showed that $674 million (41 million
gal.) was produced in 1991, and Texas produced more than one-half of that.
In 1990 production went up after Dr. Villalon of Texas A & M introduced the TAM Mild jalapeņo #1. This mildly
pungent, multiple-virus resistant pepper was well suited to Texas. He later introduced a hotter jalapeņo which adapted
well to Texas. Statewide production of jalapeņos keeps increasing but mainly in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas,
the Panhandle, and north of Loredo, Texas.
Why Chili Peppers are Hot?
A group of chemicals called CAPSAICINOIDS are responsible for the heat in chile peppers. Each one produces a
slightly different burn. The hottest and most famous of the five is called capsaicin. This is one that produces
the sensation of fire in your mouth. When the fire hits, your mouth sends a signal to your brain that signals the
release of natural pain relievers, endorphins, which we all love. The amount of capsaicin in a hot pepper is expressed
in Scoville Units.
Pepper Profile: Jalapeņo
This chile was named after the city of Xalapa in Veracruz, Mexico, where it is no longer commercially grown.
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Capsicum (KAP-sih-kum)
Species: annum (AN-yoo-um)
Species:
The category of biological classification ranking immediately below the genus (ie. Capsicum) which relates all
organisms potentially capable of interbreeding. All domesticated chile peppers are classified into five species:
C. annuun var. annuun, C. frutescens, C. chinense, C. baccatum var pendulum,
and C. pubescens. There are many more wild species, only a few of them domesticated (i.e. chiltepin). Virtually
all of the Capsicums found in markets around the world are C. annuum var annuum, although there exist many cultivars
within this species.
The Plant
This chile pepper is a pod type of Capsicum annuum. Jalapeņos usually grow from 2 1/2 to 3 feet tall. Jalapeņos
have a compact single stem or upright, multibranched, spreading habit. The leaves are light to dark green and measure
about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide. The flower corollas are white with no spots. The pods, which are conical
and cylindrical, are pendant and measure about 2 to 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. They are green (occasionally
sunlight will cause purpling), maturing to red, and measure between 2,500 and 10,000 Scoville Units. The brown streaks,
or "corking" on the pods are desirable in Mexico but not so in the US
Agriculture
In the United States, approximately 5,500 acres is under cultivation, with Texas the leading state for jalapeņo
production, followed by New Mexico. Home gardeners should remember that the US varieties of jalapeņos flourish better
in semi-arid climates--ones with dry air combined with irrigation. If planted in hot and humid zones in the US during
the summer, the yield of such jalapenos decreases and so Mexican varieties should be grown. The growing period is
70 to 80 days, and the yield is about 25 to 35 pods per plant.
Culinary Usage
Jalapeņos are one of the most famous chile peppers. They are instantly recognizable and a considerable mythology
has sprung up about them, particularly in Texas. The impetus for the popularity of jalapenos starts from a combination
of their unique taste, their heat, and their continued use as a snack food.
In 1956, Newsweek magazine published a story on a pepper-eating contest held in the Bayou Teche country of Louisiana,
near the home of the famous Tabasco sauce. The article rated the jalapeņo as "the hottest pepper known," more fiery
than the "green tabasco" or "red cayenne." Thus the Tex-Mex chile was launched as the perfectly pungent pepper for
jalapeņo-eating contests, which have proliferated all over the country.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
By Thompson
H.C.R. No. 105 74R4587 KMP-D
WHEREAS, The State of Texas has traditionally recognized a variety of official state symbols that embody the
proud spirit and rich heritage of our state; and
WHEREAS, The bluebonnet, the pecan tree, and the ruby red grapefruit are examples of natural specimens that
serve to exemplify the abundance and diversity of the Texas landscape; and
WHEREAS, In keeping with this custom, the designation of the jalapeno as the official State Pepper of Texas
will provide suitable recognition for this delicious and indispensable staple of Texas cuisine; and
WHEREAS, Capsicums, more commonly called peppers, provided nourishment for Native Americans in central Mexico
as early as 9,000 years ago and, following the voyage of Columbus to the Americas, became a popular addition
to the diets of people throughout the world; and
WHEREAS, The most popular variety of capsicum, the jalapeno, is considered by many Lone Star denizens to be
an essential ingredient in chili, our official State Dish; found in salsa and queso, the ubiquitous jalapeno
is used by Texans to add zest to even the most common American dishes, and many brave souls have been known
to consume the fiery foodstuff in its raw and pickled states; and
WHEREAS, In addition to pleasing Texas palates, jalapenos are an important agricultural crop in the Lone Star
State, which leads the nation in jalapeno production and consumption; these savory peppers are also a hot commodity
in the national marketplace, with demand growing at an estimated 15 to 20 percent each year; and
WHEREAS, Jalapenos get their distinctive sting from capsaicin, a chemical used to treat arthritis, shingles,
sore muscles, and nerve disorders and believed by many researchers to be effective in the fight against cancer
and heart disease; the remarkable health benefits of these small but potent peppers are compounded by the fact
that they contain as much vitamin A as carrots and more than twice the vitamin C of oranges and lemons; and
WHEREAS, A culinary, economic, and medical blessing to the citizens of the Lone Star State, the jalapeno is
widely recognized as an emblem of our state and is a distinctive reminder of our state's unique heritage and
diverse culture; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby designate the jalapeno as the official State
Pepper of Texas.
House Concurrent Resolution No. 105, 74th Legislature, Regular Session (1995)
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State Symbols
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State symbols represent things that are special to a
particular state.
symbol \ˈsim-bəl\
noun
Etymology:
in sense 1, from Late Latin symbolum, from Late Greek symbolon, from Greek, token, sign; in
other senses from Latin symbolum token, sign, symbol, from Greek symbolon, literally, token
of identity verified by comparing its other half, from symballein to throw together,
compare, from syn- + ballein to throw — more at devil
Date: 15th century
1: Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or
convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible.
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