Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Info provided by the
American Chamber of Commerce of Peru (AmCham Peru)

Today's jalapeños are widely known for having high levels of vitamin A, but basically they are known to be a fundamental complement of Mexican food, and the product has influenced world wide cuisine everywhere since.

It comes as no surprise then, that Louisiana in the U.S. would have a high demand of chili, as the French immigrants who stayed during the XVII and XVIII centuries, where very used to cooking all their meals with this type of spice. In other states like Texas, California and New Mexico, there is also a dynamic demand for jalapeños, due to the closeness with Mexico and a higher acceptance towards Mexican food and culture.

However, jalapeño peppers have other uses as well. They are also used in Salsas and Cold Cuts, and in some cases, as raw material to elaborate preservatives, and industrial resins. They are also used for medicinal purposes, specifically, for gastro intestine issues. Perhaps, these explains the reasons why there has been such an increase in the demand of jalapeño peppers around the world, particularly in the United States, where imports grew 9.4% during the year 2007 and kept increasing to 15% since 2004.

Obviously, Mexico has been the biggest exporter of chili peppers to the United States. Nevertheless, other countries have been gaining momentum like China, El Salvador and Peru. And, amongst the Peruvian industry, the case of the company Agro Mantaro, needs to be emphasized, because they implemented 5 hectares of production in the Central Peruvian Jungle with the projection of adjusting 20 hectares for the initial launching, providing employment to more than 180 people working to better process the artichoke, product which we will talk about at a later time.

It is now evident however, that our country is taking advantage of the existing competitive edge and has taken the opportunity of harvesting jalapeño peppers preparing itself, even more so, to the gamut of chances that will be available when the Peruvian Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. begins.

Then, dear reader, the jalapeño case is clear evidence of the spicy existent potential of success that now exists thanks to the private efforts. We will be happy to see Peru benefiting from the new commercial openness, not only to access the preferential freebies and high paying markets, but to diversify its export possibilities, generating more and more employment and fighting against poverty on a nationwide scale.


*Translated by Joceline Frank

Frankly Speaking Inc.