From Mexico. These tiny, elongated oval chiles are HOT! Very Hot. Sure, there’s the heat index where they are slightly hotter than cayenne peppers, and possibly 13-40 times spicier than jalapeños…but we’re talking popular. These chiles tend to find their way into more dishes and products in your kitchen than you may expect, from top-rated hot sauces and flavored oils, to your favorite spicy recipes. Pequin chiles are citrusy, nutty and somewhat smoky.