Jalapeño Poppers: Recipes For Cinco De Mayo & Anytime
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Who knew that Jalapeño Poppers were invented by a major food company? We always figured they’d come out of some hip Tex-Mex restaurant. But it turns out that Anchor Food Products of Appleton, Wisconsin invented jalapeño poppers in 1992—making 2012 the 20th anniversary of poppers. Below: > The history of Jalapeño Poppers. Elsewhere on The Nibble: > The history of chile peppers. > The different types of chiles: a photo glossary. > The year’s 25+ Mexican and Tex-Mex food holidays. Stuffed and breaded chile peppers existed in various forms in Southwestern and Mexican-American cooking long before they were commercialized as “poppers.” Think of Chiles Rellenos, stuffed poblano chile peppers (photo #6). Per Saveur Magazine, snack-sized stuffed chiles began to appear in the Texas in the 1950s, when import stores began to advertise a canned Mexican product consisting of “jalapeños stuffed with cheese, sardines, red snapper and shrimp.” Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, recipes stuffed jalapeños—what we now call Jalapeño Poppers—appeared in newspapers, restaurant ads, and elsewhere, occasionally under the name “armadillo eggs.” By the time Dallas-based syndicated food columnist Dotty Griffith wrote an appreciation of them in 1989, she termed them “standard fare.” The first company to sell breaded, stuffed, ready-to-fry chiles commercially was Leon’s Texas Cuisine of Dallas, a commercial supplier of corn dogs and other breaded, fried products. The original Poppers were jalapeño chiles stuffed with cream cheese or Cheddar, battered and deep-fried—a spicy Tex-Mex snack. The timing was perfect. The early 1990s saw an explosion of interest in Tex-Mex and Southwestern flavors beyond the Southwest. Jalapeño Poppers rode the wave to restaurants and bars nationwide. Note that neither manufacturer invented the flavor combination; they industrialized and standardized it for the mass food service market. Alas, the record is mute on which chef, restaurant, or customer bestowed it. While Anchor Foods filed a trademark for the term in 1992, it had already begun appearing on bar menus around Middle America at the time. Saveur found one reference at the Time Out Lounge in Owensboro, Kentucky. This strongly suggests that before any corporation got involved, the name “popper” emerged organically from bar and restaurant culture, most likely from bartenders, cooks, or customers describing the way the hot cheese literally “pops” in your mouth when you bite into one. Our own interpretation is different. We see a customer, having had an few beers with his first plate of the stuffed chile peppers, saying, “Bartender, get me another plate of those chile poppers.” Sine both companies were major suppliers to restaurants, and that’s where most consumers discovered Jalapeño Poppers (or Jalitos, or the product by any other name). By early 1995, both Applebee’s and TGI Friday’s had added Jalapeño Poppers to their menus, firmly fixing the dish in America’s culinary history. Happy Hour had new excitement on the menu. Customers had a new reason to head over. You can also find Anchor Poppers in the frozen foods section of grocery stores. Anchor’s expanded line includes seven flavors, the most popular of which are Original, Cream Cheese & Cheddar Cheese Jalapeño Poppers, and Fire-Roasted Poblano & Jalapeño Popper Bites. Anchor Foods Products was split and sold in 2001. Poppers are delicious with a beer and can be served with a dip or sauce: marinara sauce, pepper jelly, ranch dressing, salsa, or other favorite. We combine pepper jelly with fat-free Greek yogurt to add a bit of sweetness without the cholesterol; plus a breading of Japanese-style panko breadcrumbs. One of our favorites dips provides a “fusion” touch: Thai sweet chili sauce. Here’s a brand with reduced sugar. |
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 [9] Don’t want to bread and fry? Make grilled poppers. Here’s the recipe. ________________ The strategy paid off. “Jalapeño Poppers” became the universal term for the product, which helped propel the dish into mainstream popularity. By early 1995, both Applebee’s and TGI Friday’s had added jalapeño poppers to their menus, firmly fixing the dish in America’s culinary consciousness. CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.
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