Facing-heaven chilli

Piment chaotianjiao

What it is

Facing-heaven chillies grow pointing upward instead of hanging, which is exactly what the name records; the pods are short, thick-skinned and land somewhere around 50,000 to 75,000 Scoville. In a Sichuan kitchen they mostly go whole into hot oil rather than into a grinder, because the aroma comes off the skin and the seeds stay shut inside.

In the kitchen

Drop them whole into oil at about 150°C for a few seconds, until they darken one shade, then add the meat; they are there to perfume the oil and are not meant to be eaten. Snip them open beforehand only if you actually want the heat released.

Goes with

Sichuan pepper Rapeseed oil Garlic Ginger Chicken Peanut Chinkiang vinegar

Same species

Ají amarillo Ají panca Ajvar Aleppo pepper Ancho chilli Bell pepper

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