Chipotle chiles are peppers that were smoked during the drying process. They are primarily made with fully ripe, red jalapeños, which are sweet and spicy. This is known as the morita variety. Depending on the chiles used, chipotles vary in color from dull tan to coffee brown to vibrant red. Most common in Mexican cooking, chipotles are uniquely sweet and smoky with overtones of chocolate and tobacco. They have a subtle, but building, heat, with a SHU at 5,000-10,000. Note that there is another variety of chipotle that is harder to find than the morita: the meco, which is made from jalapenos that have been left on the plant until beginning to dry.