Lantern Pepper (Denglongjiao)

A medium-heat whole chilli with balanced colour, aroma and flavour — the standard for dry-pot, hot-pot and food service where the chilli must stay visible.

What is lantern pepper?

Lantern pepper (denglongjiao) is a medium-heat chilli grown on a compact plant roughly 1–1.2 m tall. Its name comes from the lantern-like pod. The variety's appeal is balance — colour, aroma and flavour in proportion — which is why it is a workhorse for dishes where the whole chilli is a visible ingredient. See our whole dried chillies page for form options.

What is lantern pepper used for?

• Dry-pot and hot-pot dishes
• Food service (visible whole chilli)
• Retail and grocery packs
• Braised and stewed dishes

Lantern vs Jinta: whole pod or flake

Lantern and Jinta are both medium-heat, but they solve different problems. Lantern is bought whole for dishes where the pod must stay visible and balanced — dry-pot and hot-pot. Jinta is bought for flakes and colour, where the long glossy red skin is the point. Choose lantern when the whole chilli is part of the presentation; choose Jinta when the chilli is processed into flakes or powder.

How to specify lantern pepper

Name the variety, then the size grade and moisture. Lantern pepper is almost always supplied whole, so the grade — pod size, de-stemmed or stem-on — matters more than mesh. Confirm under 13% moisture and your size tolerance, since presentation is the point of choosing it.

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

Whole pod vs ground: why lantern ships whole

Lantern pepper is bought whole, and the reason is surface area. A whole pod exposes far less aromatic surface to air than the same chilli ground to 60–80 mesh, so heat and aroma hold far longer in storage. That is why whole lantern is the default for dry-pot and hot-pot, where the pod must stay intact and fragrant until service. Grind it and you trade shelf-life for convenience.

Frequently Asked Questions