Facing heaven chilli

What it is¶

The facing heaven chilli, cháo tiān jiāo (朝天椒) in Mandarin, is a group of Capsicum annuum chillies named for the way the pods grow: pointing straight up at the sky rather than hanging down. The dried pods are short, 3–5 cm long, plump and conical, glossy red, with thin walls. The heat is moderate to hot, roughly 30,000–50,000 SHU, though figures vary widely between strains.

It is the classic whole dried chilli of Sichuan cooking, where the combination of chilli heat (là) and the tingling of Sichuan pepper (má) gives the famous málà flavour. Several distinct types go by the name, including the round, bullet-shaped zǐdàntóu ("bullet head"). Facing heaven chillies are often confused with the milder, longer èrjīngtiáo, the other great Sichuan chilli, used for chilli bean paste; the two do different jobs.

Origins and history¶

Chillies reached China in the late sixteenth century, most likely by sea through the southeastern ports, and are first recorded as ornamental plants. They were slow to enter the kitchen, and it was in the landlocked southwest, in Guizhou, Hunan and Sichuan, that they took hold, from the eighteenth century onwards. One often-cited explanation is that chilli offered a cheap way to season food in regions far from the sea, where salt was expensive; it is a plausible theory rather than a proven one.

By the nineteenth and twentieth centuries chilli had become part of the identity of Sichuan cooking, and today China is the world's largest grower of chillies. Facing heaven types are grown widely, with large plantings in Guizhou and in Henan province, which supplies much of the dried chilli used by Sichuan restaurants in China and abroad. See how chillies spread around the world.

Flavour and aroma¶

Raw, a dried facing heaven chilli is simply hot. Its character appears when it meets hot oil: fried briefly until it darkens a shade, it releases a toasty, fruity, slightly smoky fragrance that is the smell of a Sichuan kitchen. The heat is bright and clean, arriving quickly and receding reasonably fast, especially when paired with the numbing of Sichuan pepper, which changes the way the burn is felt. Pods that are fried too long turn black and bitter.

In the kitchen¶

• Kung pao chicken (gōngbǎo jīdīng): diced chicken stir-fried with whole or snipped facing heaven chillies, Sichuan pepper, peanuts and a sweet-sour sauce. A typical version for two uses 8–12 chillies.
• Chongqing chilli chicken (làzǐjī): crisp-fried chicken pieces buried in a mountain of dried chillies and Sichuan pepper; the chillies are there to flavour, and most are left on the plate.
• Dry-fried dishes: green beans, cauliflower and potatoes stir-fried with dried chillies and garlic.
• Hot pot: the fiery beef-tallow broth of Chongqing hot pot is packed with dried chillies and Sichuan pepper.
• Chilli oil: ground or crushed facing heaven chillies are the base of Sichuan hóngyóu (red oil) and of chilli crisp. See making chilli oil.

Using whole dried chillies¶

Snip the chillies into 2 cm pieces with scissors and shake out most of the seeds, which burn easily and add harshness. Fry them in oil over a medium heat for 10–20 seconds with Sichuan pepper, until the oil turns reddish and the chillies darken slightly, then add the other ingredients at once.

Buying and storing¶

Choose chillies that are glossy, bright red and whole, not dull, brown or broken into dust. Chinese grocers sell them in large bags; decant into airtight jars and keep in a dark cupboard for up to a year. Once snipped or ground, use within a few months. Chilli oil made with them keeps for several months in a cool, dark place, longer in the fridge.

Substitutes¶

• Chile de árbol: similar heat and thin skin, longer and a little nuttier; the most practical swap for whole-chilli frying.
• Dried Thai bird's eye chillies: hotter; use about half as many.
• Korean or Chinese chilli flakes for chilli oil.
• Cayenne in ground form, at about the same heat.

Pairs well with¶

Sichuan pepper, garlic, ginger, spring onion, star anise, cassia, black cardamom, peanuts, soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, chicken, pork, beef, tofu and green beans.

Growing your own¶

Facing heaven chillies are compact, easy C. annuum plants, handsome in pots with their upright clusters of red pods. Sow indoors in February–March at 20–25°C, grow on under cover, and move outside after the last frost to a sunny, sheltered spot, or keep in a greenhouse. Plants reach 40–60 cm. Let pods ripen fully red, then pick and dry them strung up or on trays somewhere warm and airy until brittle. Seed is sold by specialist suppliers as Facing Heaven or Chao Tian Jiao. See growing chillies.

See also¶

• sichuan pepper
• sichuan cuisine
• chinese cuisine
• chilli crisp
• making chilli oil
• chile de arbol