What chili pepper varieties are there in Yunnan? Detailed introduction to the main varieties

The main varieties of Yunnan chili peppers include Qiubei chili, facing-heaven chilies such as Yanyanhong, Tianjian, and Jiaozhongyu, bull-horn chilies such as Jingyan No. 4 and Xiangyan No. 11, line chilies such as Xianjiao 8819 and Bola Red Bull, capsaicin chilies such as Jiaoduo No. 1 and Shuanla, and Mila No. 10 small-fruited chili.

I. Qiubei chili

Among Yunnan chili peppers, Qiubei chili is the most famous. The Qiubei chili growing area has a low-latitude plateau monsoon climate, with a mild climate and sufficient sunlight. The average annual temperature is 14.9-19.3°C, the average annual rainfall is 850-1250 mm, the average annual sunshine is 1492-2090 hours, and the frost-free period is 273-353 days. The annual temperature difference is small, the daily temperature difference is large, there is no severe cold in winter and no extreme heat in summer, rain and heat occur in the same season, and the dry and wet seasons are distinct, making it suitable for chili growth. For Qiubei chili, the dried fruit is slender and linear, the peel is bright red or dark red, the fruit length is 5-13 cm, the fruit diameter is 0.4-1.2 cm, the fruit shape is slightly curved and tapers upward, and the fruit surface is glossy and smooth with unevenness. It has a fragrant and spicy quality, is spicy without being harsh, and is rich in nutrients.

For Qiubei chili, the dried fruit is slender and linear, the peel is bright red or dark red, the fruit length is 5-13 cm, the fruit diameter is 0.4-1.2 cm, the fruit shape is slightly curved and tapers upward, and the fruit surface is glossy and smooth with unevenness. It has a fragrant and spicy quality, is spicy without being harsh, and is rich in nutrients.

II. Dehong Shuanshuanla

Dehong “Shuanla” is the hottest chili in Yunnan and one of the hottest chilies in the world. It is said to be on par with the Indian ghost pepper. It is a variant of wild small-fruited chili, not large in size, with wrinkled skin, and turns red when mature. Its color is bright, and its spicy aroma is pungent when smelled. Locals call it “Shuanshuanla”, also known as “elephant trunk chili”.

It is said that because an elephant accidentally touched the chili with its trunk, the elephant ran wildly from the spiciness. Its pungency is 20 to 30 times higher than other chilies, and it is known as the “king of chilies in the world”.

III. Huize Leye

Leye Town in Huize County, as the “No. 1 chili town in China”, has chili as a local specialty high-quality agricultural product. Because it has many seeds, thick skin, an oily and smooth surface, pure spiciness, and a unique aroma, it is highly favored.

Leye Township in Huize has a long history of growing Leye chili. The chili is large, thick-fleshed and strongly flavored, red and glossy, bright in color, high in oil and vitamin content, with many seeds and a mildly spicy aroma. The products are sold far away to Myanmar, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Hunan, Guizhou, and other places.