Nope, definitely a pepper. Maybe you're thinking of chorizo?
(As an aside, why do so many people not know how to pronounce chipotle still? I worked at a restaurant once where an entire section of the menu was stuff with chipotle pepper seasoning or chipotle ranch dressing, and our managers ordered us to pronounce it 'chi-pol-tee.' When I attempted to correct them, my manager looked squarely at me and said, "We're not saying it like that. We're not French."
You probably know how to say it. I was just reminded of that.)
More like "shi-pot-lay" or "chi-pot-lay." The 'po' in 'pot' is pronounced like the 'po' in 'poke' in this case (long o), and the 'shi' is pronounced like 'shiv' (short i).
American Heritage Dictionary says, "American Spanish, from Nahuatl xipotli."
Wikipedia goes on to add
"The word chipotle, which was also sometimes spelled chilpoctle and chilpotle, comes to English originally from the Nahuatl word chilpoctli by way of Mexican Spanish. The Nahuatl word chilpoctli means "smoked chile", formed from chil (="chile pepper") + poctli (="smoke"). The original Nahuatl word was spelled "pochilli" and has apparently become reversed. Today it is commonly misspelled and mispronounced as chipolte, an error of metathesis."
no subject
Date: 2006-08-04 05:32 pm (UTC)you have disgraced chipotle day.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-04 05:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-04 06:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-04 06:37 pm (UTC)(As an aside, why do so many people not know how to pronounce chipotle still? I worked at a restaurant once where an entire section of the menu was stuff with chipotle pepper seasoning or chipotle ranch dressing, and our managers ordered us to pronounce it 'chi-pol-tee.' When I attempted to correct them, my manager looked squarely at me and said, "We're not saying it like that. We're not French."
You probably know how to say it. I was just reminded of that.)
no subject
Date: 2006-08-04 06:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-04 06:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-04 06:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-04 06:50 pm (UTC)I wonder where it's origins are? Mexico?
no subject
Date: 2006-08-04 06:53 pm (UTC)Wikipedia goes on to add So, yes! You're right - Mexico. :)
Don't be sad, be ebullent!
Date: 2006-08-06 05:42 am (UTC)Our frequenting of said restaurant (Coupled with my masterfully applied charisma, of course) will get EVERYONE on the fast track to Chipotle goodness.
Besides, NEXT week you will TOTALLY appreciate the guac on your burrito.