Where should I use each type of Chilli?
Regency’s now begun to stock many new varieties of Chilli : Kashmiri, Tianjin, Yidu, and soon to be added Akola chilli. But what are all these differences?
Regency’s Yidu Chilli comes from Xinjiang Province in China. This chilli is deceptively large, but actually the majority of the insides are empty. It also has a glorious red inner skin, meaning that after powdering, the powder turns a great deep red colour. It’s also not very spicy, has a medium heat level of around 10,000-13,000 SHU. As a result, it’s very popularly used in industry for making spice blends, rubs, and in sauces to give them that shiny red hot colour while controlling the heat level. Other chillies would result in an extremely hot dish to get to the same colour.
Regency’s Tianjin Chilli also hails from Xinjiang Province. Contrary to the Yidu, these are much smaller chillies, and also pack a punch of heat. They have an SHU of 20,000-30,000, and we usually suggest 1 pod is enough for 2-3 servings. They’re commonly used as a barbecue spice because of their lovely heat. Grind them up, and mix the course chilli powder in with some Marjoram and Oregano for a delicious spice rub.
Our final Chilli covered for today is the Kashmiri Chilli. These are slightly more expensive than the other two, owing to their more exotic source: Kashmir, India. They’re also hard to source whole – most spice traders blend in real Kashmiri chillies with cheaper varieties, but these can never taste the same. Kashmiri chillies are very mild, which is another reason why they’re often blended in. But because of their mildness, we love them! They also give a wonderful red colour, and have a slightly herbal flavour – the signature Indian flavour. They’re also the traditional Indian grandma’s favourite chilli! Because of their mild flavour, we suggest using a little more of this spice to recreate the true Indian spice flavour. Roughly chopping the chillies is the best way to use them.
Got any more questions about Chillies? Refer to our previous summary guide to chillies here!
Today’s prices of chillies:
Tianjin
10G (0.35 OZ) HKD 18
50G (1.8 OZ) HKD 30
200G (7.1 OZ) HKD 60
500G (17.6 OZ) HKD 90
1KG WHOLESALE PACK HKD 120
Kashmiri
6G (0.21 OZ) HKD 18
50G (1.8 OZ) HKD 34
200G (7.1 OZ) HKD 86
500G (17.6 OZ) HKD 120
1KG WHOLESALE PACK HKD 154
Yidu
6G (0.21 OZ) HKD 18
50G (1.8 OZ) HKD 30
200G (7.1 OZ) HKD 60
500G (17.6 OZ) HKD 90
1KG WHOLESALE PACK HKD 120
