Byadagi chilli () is a variety of chilli mainly grown in the

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

. It is named after the town of Byadgi which is located in the

Haveri district Haveri is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. As of 2011, it had a population of 1,597,668, out of which 20.78% were urban residents. The district headquarters is Haveri. Ranebennur is the biggest city in Haveri district with populatio ...

. It is sometimes written as Bedgi in some supermarkets and grocery stores in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The business involving Byadagi chillis has the second-largest turnover among all chilli varieties of India. An oil,

oleoresin Oleoresins are semi-solid extracts composed of resin and essential or fatty oil, obtained by evaporation of the solvents used for their production. The oleoresin of conifers is known as crude turpentine or gum turpentine, which consists of oil o ...

, extracted from these chillies is used in the preparation of

nail polish Nail polish (also known as nail varnish in British English or nail enamel) is a lacquer that can be applied to the human Nail (anatomy), fingernails or toenails to decorate and protect the nail plates. The formula has been revised repeatedly t ...

and

lipstick Lipstick is a cosmetics, cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick ...

. Byadagi chilli is also known for its deep red colour; it is less spicy and is used in many food preparations of

South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

. Byadagi chilli has been accorded

Geographical Indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town or region). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, is inten ...

(GI) in February 2011. Its GI tag is 129.

List of Geographical Indications in India A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the ...

Byadagi chillies come in two types: dabbi and kaddi. Byadagi dabbi, which is small and plump, is more popular for its colour, flavour and taste. Though it has more seeds, it is less spicy compared to the kaddi variety. This variety is best suited for masala preparation and oleoresin extraction. Many established food companies prefer this variety for their products. Among cosmetic products, it is mainly used in nail polish and lipstick. The kaddi type is gnarled, thin, long and has fewer seeds.

Characteristics

Byadagi Chilli plants begin flowering 40 days after transplantation although the majority of flowers bloom 60 to 80 days after transplanting. The chilli pods are harvested from January to May. The annual production of Byadagi Chilli is around 21,000 kg. The quality of chilli varieties is measured in terms of the extractable red colour pigment; this colour is measured in ASTA colour units. Byadagi Chilli has an ASTA colour value of 156.9. The higher the ASTA colour unit, the better the quality of chilli and therefore the higher the price. The Byadagi chilli has negligible

capsaicin Capsaicin (8-methyl-''N''-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) (, rarely ) is an active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus ''Capsicum''. It is a potent Irritation, irritant for Mammal, mammals, including humans, and produces ...

content making it less pungent than other chilli varieties.

Uses

Cuisine

Byadagi chilli is an important ingredient in spicy preparations like bisi bele bath, sambar,

chutney A chutney () is a spread typically associated with cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt, or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion ...

s and other food items of

and is widely used in the

Udupi cuisine Udupi cuisine is a cuisine of South India. It forms an important part of Kannada- Tuluva cuisine and takes its name from Udupi, a city on the southwest coast of India in the Karavali region of the state of Karnataka. Most of Udupi cuisine is ...

. It is also used in meat preparations because of the bright red colour that it imparts to the meat. 25 industries in and around Byadagi are involved in grinding these chillies into powder and selling them to masala manufacturers like MTR Food Products.

Oleoresin

Earlier Byadagi Chilli was grown mainly to use it in food items as a spicy ingredient but recently, it has also been grown for the extraction of

, a red oil from the pods. Oleoresin is used in the preparation of nail polish and lipsticks. The extraction of oleoresin has also led to the creation of cold storage units in Byadagi since the chilli pods have to be maintained at a low temperature of 4 to 6-degrees Celsius to maintain the colour and purity. Storing in cold storage units also increases the amount of oleoresin extracted from chilli by about 30–40%. About 50 litres of oleoresin can be extracted from about 1 tonne of Byadagi chillies. Companies have been set up in and around Byadagi that are involved in the extraction of oleoresin. This oleoresin is then sent to

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

where it is further refined before being exported to countries like the US, Japan and those in Europe.

Business

Byadagi chillies are primarily sold at the Byadagi APMC chilli market; annual sales are about Rs. 30 billion ($361 million). This market attracts traders from all over Karnataka and from neighbouring

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

because of favourable conditions for the business like a fair price, immediate payment and accurate measurement of the chillis. The recent increase in sales of low-priced, more-pungent chilli varieties in the market has caused a decrease in the price of Byadagi chillies as well. Because of this, the farmers involved in its cultivation may not be able to make the required profits on their yield.

Notes