I'm surprised at how chiplote is becoming flavor of the month in the US of A.

chipotle chile [chih-POHT-lay] This hot chile is actually a dried, smoked JALAPEÑO. It has a wrinkled, dark brown skin and a smoky, sweet, almost chocolaty flavor. Chipotles can be found dried, pickled and canned in ADOBO SAUCE. Chipotles are generally added to stews and sauces; the pickled variety are often eaten as appetizers. See also CHILE. © Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

Consider: First, I think it was French's GourMayo that came out with a chipotle flavor. I would put Subway's Steak & Cheese second. And now, there's even a Tabasco sauce. Are there Frito Lays with chipotle seasoning already?

But its certainly nice to see chile gaining more acceptance on the US of A palate. (Hey, it's even half of a Salon blog...) That's bound to kick the taste of most dishes up a notch. The first time I saw "chipotle" on a menu comes to mind: the cafeteria back at my previous workplace used to have hamburgers with a chipotle sauce and guacamole once a week. ¡Sabroso!

Now, if someone did something about the guacamole you get around here... (Guacamole is supposed to have chile, but the one I get at every restaurant is a bland, plain avocado dip.)

If chipotle is going to become more commonly used around here, maybe I'll finally see Mexican restaurants adding tinga to their menus, whether it's the beef or chicken variety. Better yet, let's have both!