Whole Dried Chillies

Entire dried chilli pods — 10,000–50,000+ SHU — graded by size and moisture, for food service, hot-pot and retail packs where the chilli must stay visible. Lantern, Jinta, facing-heaven and Xiaomi.

Short answer: Whole dried chillies are chosen when the chilli must stay visible in the dish — food service, hot-pot and retail packs. Size and moisture are the two grading levers; heat is secondary because a whole pod releases heat more slowly than powder.

What are whole dried chillies?

Whole dried chillies are the entire dried pod, kept intact rather than crushed or ground. They are the form for applications where the chilli is a visible ingredient — hot-pot, braised dishes, food service and retail packs. Size, colour and heat are all variety-driven, which is why the variety is the first thing to specify.

VarietyHeat (SHU)RegionBest for
Lantern pepper10,000 – 50,000Shandong, HebeiVisible whole chilli
Jinta10,000 – 20,000Gansu, XinjiangBright colour, medium heat
Facing-heaven20,000 – 50,000Sichuan, GuizhouAromatic whole chilli
Xiaomi50,000 – 70,000Yunnan, GuizhouHigh-heat whole chilli

What are whole dried chillies used for?

How to specify whole dried chillies

Name the variety, then the size grade and moisture. Lantern and facing-heaven give visual presence and aroma; Jinta adds bright colour; Xiaomi and Zidantou bring heat. Confirm under 13% moisture and whether you need de-stemmed, de-seeded or stem-on pods — the grade affects yield and final presentation.

Heat values are representative per variety. Confirm your exact variety, size grade and moisture when you inquire.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are whole dried chillies?

Whole dried chillies are entire dried chilli pods, graded by size and moisture. They span 10,000–50,000+ SHU across varieties like lantern, Jinta, facing-heaven and Xiaomi, and are used where the chilli must stay visible — food service, hot-pot and retail packs.

Which varieties are best for whole dried chillies?

Lantern pepper and facing-heaven give a strong visual and aroma; Jinta offers bright colour and medium heat; Xiaomi and Zidantou bring higher heat. The variety drives size, colour and SHU, so name it when you specify.

What moisture are whole dried chillies supplied at?

Whole dried chillies are typically supplied at under 13% moisture for shelf stability, with size and moisture graded to your specification. Confirm the exact grade when you order.

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