Deng Long Jiao

Aromatic and fragrant with slightly fruity, earthy, and smoky notes; contributes vivid color and mild warmth without dominating heat.

Deng Long Jiao (灯笼椒), or lantern chili, is a mild Chinese Capsicum annuum variety grown primarily in Guizhou Province for Sichuan cuisine. The fruits are fat and round to rounded-heart shaped, maturing from green to a deep, vivid red. They have relatively thin, dense skin and a strong aromatic fragrance with slightly fruity, earthy, and smoky notes. Valued more for their pigment and scent than for high heat, the dried pods are left whole for visual impact in dry-pot dishes and Chongqing chicken (la zi ji) or blended into chili oils for color and balanced mild warmth. Plants are compact (60–70 cm), productive, and well-suited to subtropical conditions.

Chili peppers arrived in southern China in the 16th century via Portuguese trade routes. In Guizhou’s subtropical climate—China’s modern chili capital—local selection produced aromatic, vividly colored varieties such as Deng Long Jiao. Sichuan cooks prize them for fragrance and red-oil coloring power rather than extreme heat, routinely combining them with other regional chilies in oils and dry-pot dishes.