Chipotles

Chipotles (chi-POAT-lay) are the smoked and dried form of chiles the most common of which are the Morita chipotles.  These are the dried form of 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 of Latino markets, but they are available at most mail order spice houses, such as Pendery's.