If you’ve noticed Chipotle’s spiciest salsa making you sweat even more lately, it’s not necessarily because your spice tolerance is on the decline. A growing number of Chipotle fans have reported that the popular Tomatillo Red-Chili Salsa is much spicier than it was. Some say it got so bad they have to swear it completely.
These complaints have been emerging for months as confused and frustrated customers wonder why they can’t stand the sauce they once enjoyed.
“It definitely got spicier. I have eaten at several places over the past few years and always order spicy food. These places all stay the same spiciness [whereas] Chipotle just got spicier,” a customer commented on a Reddit post about salsa earlier this year.
In another Reddit from October 2022 jobone customer asked if the salsa recipe had changed and said it was “so tangy I wouldn’t even call it edible”.
“Seriously, I put them on my burrito light and it’s so hot it makes my stomach hurt,” the client added.
The Wall Street Journal Also reported on the spice dispute last week, directly questioning several customers who said the salsa had become unbearably spicy.
While some customers theorized that Chipotle had tweaked the recipe, others believe that those who can’t stand the heat may just have changing tastes. The real reason for the mouth-numbing spice seems to lie somewhere in the middle. Chipotle confirmed that it has not changed the way it prepares the salsa, but noted that the spice levels in the product may vary.
“Our red pepper tomatillo salsa recipe has not changed, however, we use dried red peppers from seasons in different regions which may have a range of different heat levels,” Chipotle said in a statement.
Heat levels in hot peppers are known to vary widely even off the Chipotle menu. THE the jalapeño, for example, can register between 2,500 and 8,000 on the Scoville scale. That’s a potential difference of 5,500 Scoville heat units in the same type of pepper. According to Chipotle’s statement, customers shocked by the heat levels in the Tomatillo Red-Chili Salsa can taste batches made with dried red chili peppers which happen to be more pungent than what they used in the past.
For fans who find the Tomato and red pepper salsa too hot, Chipotle offers several milder varieties they can choose from instead. And for those who don’t want to give up Tomatillo Red-Chili Salsa Entirely Despite Heat, Chipotle Employee suggested order it on the side so they can control their consumption.
In other Chipotle news, the chain has launched several new menu items in recent months, including Chicken al Pastor and the viral quesadilla fajita.. Chipotle also unveiled a new restaurant concept called Farmesa in February, which deviates from its usual menu by serving hot bowls of protein, greens or grains, sauces and toppings.
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