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Yunnan Chili Cayenne
Long slim cayenne pods at 18,000 to 25,000 SHU, the heat end of the whole range
- Length
- 8 cm and up, 12 cm and up
- Colour
- 60-180 ASTA
- Taste
- Hot
- Pungency
- 18,000-25,000 SHU
Long slim cayenne pods at 18,000 to 25,000 SHU, the heat end of the whole range
The Yunnan chili is a slim, long-sized chili pepper with a hot, burning sensation when eaten. A mature Yunnan chili is 8 to 12 cm long when ripe and red.
It is the hottest whole pod we grade, at 18,000 to 25,000 SHU, and it is bought when heat is the reason for the purchase rather than a side effect of it. Two length grades are offered, 8 cm and up and 12 cm and up.
Key Benefits
Heat without a heat extract
At 18,000 to 25,000 SHU a small inclusion moves a blend a long way, which keeps the rest of the formula intact.
Two length grades
8 cm and up for milling, 12 cm and up where the pod is shown whole.
Same colour band as the milder pods
60 to 180 ASTA, so swapping in cayenne for heat does not force a colour change.
Consistent variety, not a hot blend
Sold as Yunnan cayenne by name rather than as an anonymous hot chili.
Published Figures We Quote Against
| Length | 8 cm and up, 12 cm and up |
|---|---|
| Colour | 60-180 ASTA |
| Taste | Hot |
| Pungency | 18,000-25,000 SHU |
| Type | Stem and stem-less |
| Shelf life | TBC — ask us for the current figure |
Technical Features
- Variety type
- Cayenne, grown in Yunnan
- Mature pod
- 8 to 12 cm long when ripe and red
- Length grades
- 8 cm and up, 12 cm and up
- Colour
- 60 to 180 ASTA
- Heat
- 18,000 to 25,000 SHU
Customisation Options
- Length grade 8 cm and up or 12 cm and up.
- Stem or stem-less.
- Colour selected within the 60 to 180 ASTA band.
- Bulk or retail-ready packing.
Where This Product Ends Up
Hot sauce
Where the label claims heat and has to deliver it.
Chili oil
Long pods infuse cleanly and can be left visible in the bottle.
Hot seasoning blends
A small percentage lifts a mild base to a hot variant.
Retail hot chili packs
The 12 cm and up grade for window packs.
Who It Is For
- Hot sauce and chili oil producers.
- Blenders building a hot variant on top of a mild base.
- Retail packers selling a recognisably hot pod.
Problems It Solves
Heat has to come from somewhere without wrecking the colour
Cayenne holds the same 60 to 180 ASTA band as our milder pods.
Extract-based heat tastes flat
Whole pod heat brings the rest of the pod with it.
Short pods look wrong in a bottle
The 12 cm and up grade is cut for visible use.
From the Field to Your Container
Variety agreed before planting
Puya, Chaotian, Yunnan cayenne and Jinta behave differently in the field and in the dryer. The variety is fixed with the grower before the season, because it is the variety that sets the colour and heat bands you can be quoted.
Picked ripe and sun dried
Pods are picked red and ripe and sun dried in the yard at Changyi. Sun drying is the step that decides the ASTA colour of the pod and of everything milled from it later.
Graded for length, broken and loose seed
Whole pods are sorted to a published length minimum and checked for broken content and loose seed before they are considered sellable as a whole grade.
Stored cold, then packed to your discharge method
Frozen and constant-temperature storage totals 4,800 cubic metres. Pods ship in woven sacks for millers, cartons for hand tipping, or retail-ready packs.
Quality Control and Certification
- Whole pods are graded by hand as well as mechanically, because broken content and loose seed are what a buyer actually pays for twice.
- Colour is confirmed inside the quoted 60-180 ASTA band against your agreed target point.
- Pods from our own Xinjiang plantation carry residues that comply with the Japanese Positive List System, which is the list that decides whether a whole-pod lot can enter Japan at all.
- Graded under a HACCP system certificate issued by the China Quality Certification Centre.
- No food quality or safety incident has occurred since the company began processing in 1999, and more than 90 percent of output has been exported throughout that period.
Use Guide
- Handle with gloves at this heat level when splitting pods by hand.
- Add heat in steps; at 25,000 SHU a small overdose is hard to correct.
- Infuse whole in oil rather than grinding if you want heat without cloudiness.
- Store away from light to protect the colour.
How This Compares With the Rest of the Range
| Alternative | What changes |
|---|---|
| Red Chili Pepper Ring | The same heat band at 18,000 to 25,000 SHU but cut to 2 mm rings. Choose rings when the heat has to be visible. |
| Jalapeno Chile Chaotian Chili | Lower and wider at 4,000 to 20,000 SHU with a shorter pod. |
| Puya Chili Beijing Red Pepper | Far milder at 2,000 to 4,500 SHU. Choose Beijing Red for colour volume, cayenne for heat. |
Other Items Buyers of Yunnan Chili Cayenne Look At
Questions About Yunnan Chili Cayenne
How hot is this in practice?
18,000 to 25,000 SHU, which is roughly five times the heat of our Beijing Red pod and at the top of what we grade as a whole pod.
Which length should I order?
8 cm and up if you are milling it. 12 cm and up if the pod will be seen.
Does the heat vary between lots?
Lots are selected within the quoted band. Tell us where in the band you want to sit and we will grade to it.
Can it be supplied crushed?
For crushed heat at this level, look at our red chili pepper ring at 2 mm or ask us to quote crushed chili at the top of its SHU range.
What packing is available?
Carton, paper bag, woven sack or big bag depending on your discharge method.
Quote Yunnan Chili Cayenne to Your Specification
Tell us the ASTA colour, the SHU heat and the packing you need. We will come back with a price, a lead time and a sample.