Er Jing Tiao

Fruity and aromatic with a robust fragrance, earthy and slightly sweet-smoky notes, and a slow-building mild heat; valued more for color and aroma than intense pungency.

Er Jing Tiao (二荆条) is a Capsicum annuum landrace from Sichuan, China, with slender, J-curved pods that ripen from green to deep red. Pods typically measure 12–20 cm long and about 1–1.8 cm wide, with thin walls and a wrinkled or glossy skin when dried. Plants reach 90–145 cm and are highly productive. The variety is famous for its intense pigment and complex fragrance rather than extreme heat, making it the foundational chili for authentic Sichuan chili oil, Pixian doubanjiang, mapo tofu, and fermented duo jiao. It is used both fresh (as a vegetable or in stir-fries) and dried.

Chili peppers reached China in the late Ming Dynasty (16th century). Er Jing Tiao, named for its resemblance to Vitex twigs (荆条), evolved as a Sichuan landrace and became central to the region’s cuisine by the Qing Dynasty. It is prized as the “soul of Sichuan cuisine” for fragrance and deep-red coloring power in Pixian doubanjiang and chili oil; Shuangliu and Xichong varieties received national geographical-indication protection in 2009–2010.