Cheongyang Chili Pepper

Grassy and earthy with subtle sweetness and a citrus tang; delivers a sharp, lingering burn that is cleaner than many Thai or Mexican chilies.

Cheongyang chili peppers (Korean: 청양고추) are a genetically improved hybrid strain created in 1983 by Dr. Il-ung Yoo (Yoo Il-Woong) through crossing Thai chilies with Jeju-do cultivars. The name derives from Cheongsong and Yeongyang counties, though it became a specialty of Cheongyang County in South Chungcheong Province. Fruits are slender and pointed like cayenne peppers, measuring around 3-5 inches long with thin walls. Unripe pods appear green or occasionally light purple before ripening to a deep, vibrant red that holds color well when dried. Heat levels range from 10,000 to 23,000 Scoville heat units, making them significantly spicier than standard Korean chilies while offering grassy, earthy notes with subtle sweetness and a faint citrus tang. In Korean cuisine they are commonly used fresh—sliced or chopped—in stews, soups, kimchi, marinades, pickles, and stir-fries to deliver clean heat without overwhelming color from flakes.

Developed in 1983 by Dr. Il-ung Yoo by hybridizing a Thai chili with Jeju-do cultivars; rights were later sold to Monsanto. It quickly became the spiciest popular Korean variety and a local agricultural specialty of Cheongyang County.