If you like spicy salsas, then this Salsa recipe is for you! Piquin Peppers are a small pepper, but they carry a lot of heat for their size, and are even hotter than Jalapeño peppers. Also known as Pequin, Tepin, or Bird peppers here in the States, Piquin peppers can be found in Mexico, Central America, and the southern U.S. states of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.

In the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon, it is common to find the plant in the wild as well as in household gardens. In large cities, some people will have a large pot outside their kitchens with a plant of Piquin peppers, that way they have it handy for when they’re cooking their salsas. Some people will also eat them raw, and just go outside their kitchens to cut some to enjoy with their meals. When I'm cooking chorizo, I like to add a few of these peppers.