{"id":3465,"date":"2026-09-28T21:30:37","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T13:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mokyoil.com\/blog\/?p=3465"},"modified":"2026-09-28T21:30:37","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T13:30:37","slug":"how-many-types-of-red-chillies-are-there-428f-de384b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mokyoil.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/28\/how-many-types-of-red-chillies-are-there-428f-de384b\/","title":{"rendered":"How many types of red chillies are there?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When people ask me, \u201cHow many types of red chillies are there?\u201d I usually laugh because that\u2019s like asking, \u201cHow many types of songs are there?\u201d It\u2019s not a simple number you can pull off a shelf, especially when I\u2019ve been sourcing red chillies for over a decade\u2014talking to farmers in Mexico, India, Thailand, and even parts of Africa, and testing every pod that makes its way to my supplier bins. I get it, though. Most folks know red chillies as just \u201cthe spicy thing in my tacos\u201d or \u201cthe hot sauce that makes my eyes water,\u201d but there\u2019s a whole world of varieties out there, and the count depends on who you ask. Let me break it down like I would to a new buyer who just walked into my warehouse, no stuffy jargon, just real stuff I\u2019ve learned from growing and trading these little fireballs. Red Chilli<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s get one thing straight: red chillies aren\u2019t a single species. Most of the ones we care about are Capsicum annuum, which is the big one\u2014think jalape\u00f1os, cayenne, and even the habanero (wait, no, habanero is Capsicum chinense, but we\u2019ll get to that later). But scientists have identified around 30 Capsicum species total, right? Only 5 of them are actually used for food, and red chillies are just the ripe version of most of those. When a chilli starts green, it\u2019s not ready to pick, so we wait for it to turn red\u2014some take a week, some take months, depending on the variety.<\/p>\n

Now, the part everyone wants to know: how many actual types? If you check a random website, you might see numbers like 200, or 400, or even 2,000. Here\u2019s the thing: that range isn\u2019t random. The confusion comes from how you define a \u201ctype.\u201d Some experts count every distinct named variety that farmers have bred over hundreds of years\u2014those are called landraces, the ones that get passed down through families, adapted to specific soil and weather in a small town in India or a village in Oaxaca. Other experts count every hybrid that seed companies sell, the ones bred for high yield or extra heat. Then there\u2019s the wild ones, which scientists have documented, but most of us would never see on a grocery store shelf.<\/p>\n

From my side as a supplier, I\u2019m not here to argue with botanists. I\u2019m here to tell you about the ones you actually care about\u2014 the ones that show up on menus, go into hot sauces, get dried or fresh or ground into powder. Let\u2019s stick to those. I\u2019d say I work with around 40 regularly, but I\u2019ve had shipments of specialty ones that only come once a year, so that number creeps up to 60 or 70 if I\u2019m counting every seasonal variety. Let\u2019s talk about the most common ones that every buyer asks for, because that\u2019s the stuff moves out of my door fast.<\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s start with the ones that don\u2019t get enough love, maybe? Wait no, let\u2019s go from mild to wild, because that\u2019s how most people experience red chillies. If you\u2019re looking for something that adds flavor without killing your taste buds, the Anaheim red is it. It\u2019s the same as the green Anaheim, just left to ripen on the plant. It\u2019s got a mild, almost sweet flavor, around 500 to 1,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU)\u2014that\u2019s barely hotter than a bell pepper, for real. I sell a ton of these to restaurants that make salsas for people who don\u2019t do super spicy food, and they\u2019re also great for roasting. I source these from a farm in southern California that\u2019s been growing them for 3 generations, so I know they\u2019re consistent every year.<\/p>\n

Next up, maybe the most iconic one: cayenne red. That\u2019s the long, thin, bright red one you see dried in shakers at pizza places, right? It\u2019s around 30,000 to 50,000 SHU\u2014definitely spicy, but not so hot that it overpowers food. I use cayenne in a lot of my bulk orders for hot sauce makers, because it\u2019s super reliable, and it dries really well without losing too much flavor. Fun fact: I once shipped a 500-pound pallet of red cayenne to a small hot sauce company in Brooklyn, and they told me it was the best batch they\u2019d had in years\u2014said the soil in the fields in Arkansas I source from gives it a little earthy kick that a lot of other cayennes don\u2019t have.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the guajillo red. Wait, guajillo is the dried version of the mirasol chilli, right? People mix these up all the time. It\u2019s dark red, a little wrinkly, has a fruity, smoky flavor, around 2,500 to 5,000 SHU. I love guajillos because they\u2019re so versatile\u2014used in mole, in salsas, even in marinades for meat. A lot of Mexican restaurants swear by these, and I source a lot from farmers in Puebla, where they\u2019ve been growing mirasols for centuries. I always make sure to check that they\u2019re dried slowly, not too fast, because if you dry them too hot, they lose that deep fruity taste and just taste like plain spice.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s get to the ones that bring the heat. Jalape\u00f1o red is super common. When you leave a green jalape\u00f1o on the plant until it turns red, it gets sweeter and a little spicier, around 5,000 to 8,000 SHU. I sell a lot of these fresh to local grocery stores, and also dried as chipotles\u2014wait, chipotles are smoked jalape\u00f1os, right? Yep, that\u2019s another type I stock. Chipotles have that smoky, almost chocolatey flavor that\u2019s perfect for adobo sauce. A lot of people don\u2019t realize that chipotles are just red jalape\u00f1os that have been smoked, so they\u2019re technically a red chilli too.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the serrano red. It\u2019s smaller than a jalape\u00f1o, way thinner skin, super bright red, around 10,000 to 23,000 SHU. Serranos have a really sharp, bright heat, not the slow burn of a cayenne. I use these a lot for fresh salsas and ceviche, because their flavor cuts through fish really well. I source serranos from a farm in Veracruz, Mexico, and they\u2019re picked super early in the morning, right after the dew dries, so they stay crisp longer in shipping\u2014no sad, wilted chillies when they get to my warehouse.<\/p>\n

If you want something way hotter, let\u2019s talk about the Thai red chilli. Those little guys are only like an inch long, but they pack a punch\u2014100,000 to 225,000 SHU. I once had a buyer from a Thai restaurant tell me that if you use too many of these, you can still taste the heat for three days. I believe it. They\u2019re super aromatic too, with that citrusy, grassy flavor that\u2019s key for tom yum soup and pad thai. I only bring in Thai red chillies during the cool season, because they don\u2019t do well in extreme heat, and I make sure to pack them in ventilated crates so they don\u2019t get moldy on the trip over.<\/p>\n

Wait, and let\u2019s not forget the habanero red. That\u2019s the Capsicum chinense one I mentioned earlier. It\u2019s that lantern-shaped one, bright red, around 100,000 to 350,000 SHU. That\u2019s almost as hot as some of the superhots, right? Habaneros have that fruity, sometimes floral flavor, so they\u2019re perfect for hot sauces that are meant to be both spicy and tasty. I once had a craft hot sauce maker come to me and say they wanted to make a habanero hot sauce that didn\u2019t just taste like fire, and we tweaked the batch to have a little bit of mango to balance it out\u2014best seller they ever had, they told me.<\/p>\n

Now, the superhots? I work with a few of those, but only in small batches, because they\u2019re tricky to grow. Things like the Carolina Reaper, which is the current Guinness record holder at over 2 million SHU, or the Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia) at around 1 million SHU. These are for people who want actual pain, basically. I only take orders for these from companies that know what they\u2019re doing\u2014you don\u2019t want a little kid getting into a jar of Reaper sauce, trust me. I source these from a small farm in South Carolina that specializes in superhots, and they have to follow strict food safety rules because they\u2019re so spicy.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the thing that most people don\u2019t talk about: the number of types isn\u2019t fixed. Farmers are always making new varieties, crossing old ones to get more heat, better flavor, or higher yield. A few years ago, I got a new type of red chilli from a farmer in Peru\u2014called a rocoto red, it\u2019s a little round one, has a tangy, citrusy flavor, around 30,000 SHU. No one was growing it commercially before, so we started bringing it in, and now a lot of Peruvian restaurants in the US use it all the time. That\u2019s the cool part about chillies\u2014they\u2019re always evolving, and every year there\u2019s something new to add to the list.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s go back to that original question: how many types of red chillies are there? If you ask a botanist, they\u2019ll say around 200 named cultivated varieties, not counting wild ones. If you ask a seed company, they\u2019ll say over 1,000, because they count every hybrid they sell. If you ask me, as a supplier who\u2019s actually handling these things every day, I\u2019d say around 50 that I work with regularly, plus another 20 seasonal or specialty ones that pop up each year. And that\u2019s not even counting the different ways you can prepare them\u2014dried, fresh, smoked, ground into powder, made into paste, or turned into hot sauce. Each preparation changes the flavor and count, too.<\/p>\n

A lot of new buyers come to me and say, \u201cI just need red chillies\u2014send me whatever you have.\u201d But the truth is, the type you pick makes all the difference. If you\u2019re making a mild salsa for a family restaurant, Anaheim is perfect. If you\u2019re making a spicy hot sauce that needs to stand out, cayenne or guajillo is the way to go. If you\u2019re making a marinade for wings, maybe a mix of serrano and habanero to get both heat and flavor. I\u2019ve had buyers order the wrong type before, and they come back swearing they\u2019ll never make that mistake again\u2014like the guy who ordered cayenne for his mole, and it came out tasting like fire instead of that deep, smoky sweetness he wanted.<\/p>\n

As a supplier, my job isn\u2019t just to send you red chillies. It\u2019s to help you pick the right one for your needs, tell you what\u2019s in season, and make sure they arrive fresh, no matter where you are. I\u2019ve been doing this for long enough that I can tell a good batch of red chilli just by looking at it\u2014bright, uniform color, no soft spots, a little firm to the touch. I check every shipment when it comes in, because if even one pod is bad, it can ruin an entire order, and I don\u2019t want my buyers dealing with that.<\/p>\n

So, if you\u2019re a restaurant owner, a hot sauce maker, or just someone who needs bulk red chillies, don\u2019t waste time guessing how many types there are, or which one is right for you. Hit me up, tell me what you\u2019re making, how much heat you need, and how soon you need it. I\u2019ll hook you up with the right variety at a fair price, and even give you tips on how to use them if you\u2019re new to working with red chillies. I\u2019m not just a supplier\u2014I\u2019m a guy who loves chillies, and I want your food to taste as good as possible, whether it\u2019s a simple taco or a complex mole.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, the number of red chilli types doesn\u2019t matter as much as finding the right one for what you\u2019re doing. There are thousands out there, but I\u2019ve got the ones that work, that are high quality, and that I\u2019d use myself in my own kitchen (yes, I cook with these every day\u2014my wife says I put way too much cayenne in my chili, but that\u2019s just my thing). So if you need red chillies, for any use, reach out. Let\u2019s chat, no pressure, and we\u2019ll get you set up with exactly what you need.<\/p>\n

Fresh Onion<\/a> References<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. DeWitt, D., & Bosland, P. W. (2009). The Complete Book of Chilli Peppers<\/em>. Chronicle Books.<\/li>\n
  2. Pickersgill, B. (1997). Evolution and distribution of the Chilli Peppers (Capsicum spp.). Annals of Botany<\/em>, 79(1), 59-69.<\/li>\n
  3. Bosland, P. W., & Votava, E. J. (2012). Peppers: Vegetable and Spice Capsicums<\/em>. CABI.<\/li>\n
  4. Scoville, W. L. (1912). Note on capsicum standards. The Journal of the American Pharmacists Association<\/em>, 1(3), 453-454.<\/li>\n
  5. Farfan, J., et al. (2015). Genetic diversity and population structure of Capsicum annuum landraces from the southwestern United States and Mexico. Genetics and Molecular Research<\/em>, 14(4), 13750-13762.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Nine Three Import and Export Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    We’re well-known as one of the most experienced red chilli suppliers in China. We warmly welcome you to wholesale bulk high quality red chilli at competitive price from our factory. If you have any enquiry about cooperation, please feel free to email us.
    Address: No.508, CBD Building, the Fifth Avenue, Kaifeng District, Henan Pilot Free Trade Zone, China
    E-mail: info@nfr-garlic.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.nfr-garlic.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    When people ask me, \u201cHow many types of red chillies are there?\u201d I usually laugh because … How many types of red chillies are there?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":941,"featured_media":3465,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3428],"class_list":["post-3465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-red-chilli-4e37-defc81"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mokyoil.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mokyoil.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mokyoil.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mokyoil.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/941"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mokyoil.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.mokyoil.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mokyoil.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mokyoil.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mokyoil.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mokyoil.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}