Kashmiri Red Chilies or are characterized by their ability to give a dark red colour to food and add flavour, while at the same time not allowing the food to become too pungent or spicy. India is the largest consumer and producer. Numerous companies sell the powdered form, including MDH,

Everest Spices Everest Food Products Pvt Ltd (Everest Spices) is an Indian manufacturer, distributor and exporter of ground spices and spice mixtures under the brand name Everest. Everest has been accorded the Superbrands status Eight times: in 2003, 2006, 20 ...

, Sakthi Masala and Badshah Masala.

Vir Sanghvi Vir Sanghvi (born 5 July 1956) is an Indian print and television journalist, author, columnist and talk show host. He has been a member of many professional, academic and government bodies including the National Integration Council. Currently, h ...

writes that a majority of the restaurant industry in India use Kashmiri chillis or its powdered form. Chefs even use Kashmiri chillis as a substitute for dishes with ''Goan Peri-Peri masala.'' Due to the high demand for Kashmiri chilis, substitutes such as

Byadagi chilli Byadagi chilli () is a variety of chilli mainly grown in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is named after the town of Byadgi which is located in the Haveri district of Karnataka. It is sometimes written as Bedgi in some supermarkets and grocer ...

es are often used. There are government initiatives and incentives in Jammu and Kashmir to support and increase the production of the local variety of the Kashmiri chilli.

Characteristics

According to the

Spices Board of India The Spices Board is the Indian government regulatory and export promotion agency for Indian spices headed by a Chairman, a rank equivalent to Joint Secretary to the Government of India. The board is headquartered in Kochi. Spices Board was c ...

, under the

Ministry of Commerce and Industry A ministry of trade and industry, ministry of commerce, ministry of commerce and industry or variations is a ministry that is concerned with a nation's trade, industry and commerce. Notable examples are: List *Algeria: Ministry of Industry and ...

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

, Kashmiri Chillies are mainly grown in

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...

and

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

, but also in places such as

Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...

. They are harvested during winter.

Color

Kashmiri pepper appears wrinkled and rough, often brownish when traditionally dried (long dry), but contains densely concentrated red pigment material. The

American Spice Trade Association The American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) is an American trade association for companies importing, processing and distributing food spices. It was founded in New York City in 1907 by 55 "founding fathers". It was decided that ASTA membership w ...

(ASTA) colour value is 54.10. This value helps identify the amount of colour that can be extracted from the chilli. The

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 ...

value is 0.325%. They are mild, reading 1000 – 2000 SHU on the

Scoville Scale The Scoville scale is a measurement of spiciness of chili peppers and other substances, recorded in Scoville heat units (SHU). It is based on the concentration of capsaicinoids, among which capsaicin is the predominant component. The scale ...

. There are different qualities of Kashmiri red chillies. According to a study in 1999, the

value was found to be 0.126%.

Statistics

India's Consumer Education and Research Centre puts ''Everest Kashmiri Lal'' (

) at SHU 48,000, while ''Golden Harvest Kashmiri Mirch Powder'' ( Golden Harvest'')'' has an SHU of 60,000.How hot is Chilli Powder?
''Consumer Education and Research Centre.'' Environment Information System, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. Retrieved on 26 July 2021. This SHU level is similar to other brands in the market. Brick powder is one of the forms of adulteration.

Usage

It is used in various dishes such as

tandoori chicken Tandoori chicken is a dish made from chicken marinated in yogurt and spices and roasted in a '' tandoor'', a cylindrical clay oven. The dish is now popular worldwide. The modern form of the dish was popularized by the Moti Mahal restaurant in ...

and snacks such as tiger prawns. It is also used in pickles and chutneys. It is used in food like pav bhaji and misal pav for colour.

References

{{Capsicum cultivars Pakistani cuisine Indian cuisine Kashmiri cuisine