Er Jing Tiao Chili

The er jing tiao is Sichuan's most-loved chili. It is used both fresh and dried, in both its green and red forms, in everything from stir-fries to braises to chili oil. These dried er jing tiao are 4 to 5 inches long, and soft and pliable—a sign of freshness and full flavor. 

Er jing tiao is prized for its deep-red color and robust fragrance and is frequently used as one of the chilis in chili oil for that reason. It has a fruity, mild-to-moderate heat.

In its fresh form, er jing tiao is used to make fermented chili bean paste (doubanjiang) and pickled chilies for cooking. While it is nearly impossible to get fresh er jing tiao in the U.S., we have found that these freshly dried chilies rehydrate very well in the pickling jar to approximate the pickled chilies used in Sichuan. 

Like most other chili peppers sold and eaten in Sichuan in recent times, these are grown in neighboring Guizhou Province, which is warmer and still has a non-industrial, farming economy. These chilies are sun-dried by the farmers then further dried, cleaned and tested by our supplier in Chengdu to meet international safety standards. We at The Mala Market hand-package them weekly. 

Source: Guizhou Province
Size: 3.5 ounces (100 grams); 4 1/2 cups by volume