Chipotles

Chipotles (chi-POAT-lay) are the smoked and dried form of the Jalapeños.  The process imparts a wonderful smoky flavor.  They can be bought whole, but are most useful in the crushed form where you can spoon out only as much as you need for preparing a recipe.  While they don't much resemble the Jalapeños they started out as, they do retain their heat - so be cautious.  They can be hard to find outside the southwest, so try a mail order house, such as Pendery's.