How Many Types of Chili Are There? Japanese and Global Varieties and Their Heat Levels at a Glance

Takanotsume, habanero, shishito, Manganji pepper. Say "chili pepper" and the lineup is very wide, from hot to non-spicy, so it's often confusing—"which variety is this?" or "is Takanotsume the same as chili pepper?"

This page organizes the types of chili pepper in a list by Japanese and world variety. We introduce hot lines such as Takanotsume, non-spicy sweet-long types such as shishito and Manganji pepper, region-rooted native varieties, and the world's super-hot varieties, along with a guide to heat and how to use them in cooking. From the standpoint of those involved in dried vegetable and powder processing, we've also summarized, from a maker's viewpoint, how to use fresh, dried, and powder differently, and how to choose domestic chili pepper as a commercial raw material.

What is chili pepper? Basics before knowing the types

Chili pepper is a plant of the genus Capsicum in the nightshade family, native to Central and South America. There are said to be thousands of varieties in the world, and not only hot ones—non-spicy ones like bell pepper and paprika are the same family too. Grasping the names and the mechanism of heat first brings the position of each variety into view.

The difference among the names chili pepper, tougarashi, and Takanotsume

"Chili pepper" and "tougarashi" refer to the same thing, the general term as a plant. On the other hand, "Takanotsume" is the name of one variety among chili peppers, not an alias for chili peppers as a whole. There are many scenes where dried red chili peppers are collectively called Takanotsume, but strictly, Takanotsume is one of many varieties. Because much of what is sold at supermarkets as "dried chili pepper" is this Takanotsume, the two are easily conflated.

Capsaicin, the source of heat, and hot vs. non-spicy varieties

The source of chili pepper's heat is a component called capsaicin. It is abundant in the placenta on the inside of the fruit (the white pith where seeds attach), and removing it softens the heat. Even within the same chili pepper family, there are varieties containing almost no capsaicin, such as shishito, bell pepper, paprika, and Manganji pepper. Hot and non-spicy chili peppers, even if similar in appearance, differ greatly in the amount of heat component. For using them differently in cooking too, dividing them broadly into "hot or non-spicy" first makes it easier to understand.

Red, green, and yellow chili peppers are differences in ripeness

Red and green chili peppers often refer not to different varieties but to differences in ripeness. Ones harvested in the unripe green state are green chili peppers, and ones ripened fully and turned red are red chili peppers. While green, they have a fresh heat and aroma; turned red, heat and sweetness increase and they suit drying and powder too. The yellow stage partway through ripening is sometimes called yellow chili pepper, and there are varieties like habanero that mature yellow-orange. Even on the same plant, the color and flavor change with harvest timing—that's the interesting part of chili pepper.

A guide to chili pepper heat | A quick-reference heat chart by Scoville value

When comparing types of chili pepper, what you're most curious about is the heat. Heat has a numerical guide, useful as a reference for choosing varieties.

What is the Scoville value (the unit of heat)

The Scoville value (SHU) is a unit expressing chili pepper heat numerically. Converted based on the amount of capsaicin, a larger number indicates hotter. Non-spicy ones like bell pepper are near 0, while habanero and super-hot varieties reach the hundreds of thousands. It's only a guide to heat, and even the same variety has a range depending on cultivation environment and individual fruit.

A heat comparison of the main chili peppers

We've lined up the heat guides of representative varieties in roughly ascending order. The numbers vary by source, but they help you grasp the relative positions of the varieties.

How heat is felt and changes in cooking

Even the same variety has individual differences in how the heat is felt. Also, removing seeds and pith curbs the heat, and heating slowly in oil transfers the heat component to the oil, spreading heat throughout the dish. Whether you use Takanotsume whole, chopped, or as powder also changes how the heat comes out. For dishes where you want to bring out heat, choose varieties with a high number in the table; for coloring or flavoring, choose low-number varieties, and it finishes as intended.

Types of Japanese chili pepper | Hot varieties and representative lines

The hot chili peppers grown in Japan can be organized into several lines. The representatives are the Takanotsume group, the Yatsubusa group, and the Fushimi group, each with characteristics in how the fruit sets and its shape.

The Takanotsume group (Takanotsume, Hontaka, Daruma)

A line whose fruit sets downward, slender at about 3 to 4.5cm. Its pointed tip resembling a hawk's talon is said to be the origin of the name Takanotsume ("hawk's talon"). Dried and used in ichimi, shichimi, and peperoncino, it is the most familiar hot chili pepper in Japan. Hontaka is larger at about 5cm, with Kagawa Hontaka from Kagawa Prefecture being well known. Daruma is also included in this group.

The Yatsubusa group (Yatsubusa, Santaka, Kumataka)

A line named Yatsubusa because the fruit sets clustered upward in bunches. Santaka is a variety born from crossing Hontaka and Yatsubusa, once grown much in Aichi and now grown much in Tochigi, called Tochigi Santaka. Kumataka is also part of this family. Because the Yatsubusa group sets fruit well and yields stably, it has long been widely used as a processing raw material.

The Fushimi group and heat varieties enjoyed for color

The Fushimi group is a line including hot varieties such as Fushimi-kara and Nikko tougarashi. What to note here is the difference from Kyoto's "Fushimi tougarashi." Whereas the Fushimi group as a line name refers to hot varieties, the Fushimi tougarashi distributed as a vegetable is a non-spicy sweet-long type and is treated as a separate thing (sweet-long types are introduced in the next section).

Besides these, there are varieties that color purple rather than red. Agriture handles domesticDried purple chili pepperandPurple chili pepper powder, and by making use of the purple color, you can add variety to a dish's coloring or a seasoning's appearance.

Even among the same hot chili peppers, the strengths differ by line—the Takanotsume group with distinct heat, the Yatsubusa group with stable yield and ease of processing. Choosing the line by use—the Takanotsume group when using as powder like ichimi or shichimi, the Yatsubusa group when handling substantial volumes as a processing raw material—leaves no waste.

Non-spicy chili peppers (sweet-long type) | shishito, Manganji, Fushimi tougarashi

Among the chili pepper family there are also many non-spicy varieties. Sweet, long-shaped ones are called sweet-long tougarashi and can be savored as-is grilled or simmered. Kyoto has the representatives of the sweet-long type on hand.

Manganji togarashi

A large sweet-long tougarashi representing Kyoto, thick-fleshed, tender, and non-spicy. Also called "the king of tougarashi," the staple dish is grilling it and eating it with dashi-soy sauce. Agriture processes it as domesticDried Manganji pepperandManganji pepper powder, using it for coloring and flavoring. Its characteristics as a Kyoto vegetable are covered inthe explanation of Manganji pepper.

Fushimi togarashi

A slender, Kyoto traditional sweet-long tougarashi with little heat and standout sweetness. Also said to be one parent of Manganji pepper, with a tender texture suiting grilling and stir-frying. Details are also covered inFushimi Pepper Explanation. Agriture too processes it into a form usable year-round asDried Fushimi togarashi.

Shishito & himo tougarashi

Shishito (shishitougarashi) is a small, non-spicy variety, but depending on the cultivation environment, an occasional hot one may be mixed in. Himo tougarashi is a native variety of Nara, slender like a string and non-spicy, so it can be used as-is in stir-fries. Sweet-long native varieties such as Sanbo amanaga tougarashi are passed down in each region.

Region-rooted native varieties and heirloom-vegetable chili peppers

Across Japan there are native chili pepper varieties passed down in each land. Not a few have been certified as heirloom vegetables and have supported regional cuisine and industry.

Kagawa Hontaka & Tochigi Santaka

Kagawa Hontaka is a large variety about twice the size of a typical Takanotsume, said to have a good balance of aroma, heat, and umami. Tochigi Santaka is a producing-region variety representing Tochigi Prefecture, long widely used as a processing raw material for its strong heat. Having developed in connection with their producing regions is a characteristic of these native varieties.

Naito tougarashi, Kenzaki nanba, Shimizumori Nanba

Naito tougarashi is a native variety grown around Shinjuku, Tokyo in the Edo period, and its cultivation is spreading anew. Kenzaki nanba is a native variety of Ishikawa Prefecture and Shimizumori Nanba of Aomori Prefecture, both valued as local heirloom vegetables. "Nanba" and "nanban" are regional names for chili pepper, and it has been enjoyed under various names across the country.

Varieties enjoyed for color and shape

There are colorful chili peppers grown for ornament, and varieties that color purple, black, or cream. Native varieties with distinctive shapes, such as the curved Ajime koshou, also remain in each region. Being enjoyed both for food and for ornament is the breadth of the vegetable that is chili pepper.

A product catalog that shows around 100 items we handle

Agriture, flexibly handling everything from small lots to large lots

• Available from small lots of 100 g
• We handle heirloom vegetables from across Japan
• Dried fruit and herbs also supported

Download the materials here

Types of world chili peppers

Chili pepper is indispensable to cuisines around the world, with distinctive varieties used region by region. Wide-ranging in both heat and flavor, it is deeply tied to food culture.

Mexico (jalapeño, habanero)

Mexico, close to chili pepper's place of origin, is a treasure trove of varieties. The jalapeño is thick-fleshed with medium heat, chopped and used in salsa and pickling. The smoked, ripened version is called chipotle. The habanero is a super-hot variety combining strong heat with a fruity aroma in a small fruit, used as a raw material for sauces. Many varieties are used dried, chosen for each dish.

Korean, Thai, and Central/South American chili peppers

Korean chili pepper has gentle heat with sweetness and umami, indispensable to kimchi and gochujang. Coarsely ground Korean chili pepper powder, with its vivid red, enhances a dish. Thailand's prik kee noo is small with strong heat, used in tom yum kung and more. In Central and South America, its place of origin, countless native varieties too numerous to introduce here still remain.

The world's hottest varieties (super-hot chili peppers)

Varieties pursuing extreme heat have also been born around the world. The Bhut Jolokia has about twice the heat of habanero, and the Carolina Reaper is known for the world's top-class heat, exceeding a Scoville value of 1,000,000. These are varieties bred to compete over heat itself rather than for cooking, and handling them requires caution.

We've summarized representative world varieties in a list by place of origin, heat guide, and main use.

How to choose and use by type | The perspective of cooking, drying, and powder

Chili pepper changes in suitable variety and use depending on whether you use it fresh, dried, or as powder. From the standpoint of those involved in processing, we organize the points for choosing.

Uses that change with fresh, dried, and powder

Fresh chili pepper's strengths are a juicy aroma and heat, suiting condiments of green chili pepper and grilled Manganji pepper. Dried, it keeps well, and its heat and umami concentrate, so you can infuse it whole in oil or rehydrate it in water. Made into powder, it mixes evenly into dishes and is easy to use for coloring or as a seasoning base. Even the same variety greatly widens its uses by changing form.

For representative domestic varieties, we've summarized, from a maker's viewpoint, the heat, main uses, and suitability for drying and powder processing. Please use it as a guide for choosing raw materials.

How to choose by dish

For dishes where you want to bring out heat clearly, like peperoncino or mapo tofu, Takanotsume; for pickling or sauces, medium-hot jalapeño; for a dish that makes use of color and sweetness, shishito or Manganji pepper—choosing the variety by the dish's purpose reduces failures. When using as powder like ichimi or shichimi, a domestic Takanotsume type with a good balance of heat and aroma pairs well.

Domestic chili pepper as a commercial / processing raw material

When looking for chili pepper as a raw material for product development or commercial use, in addition to variety, the producing region, degree of drying, particle size, and stability of heat become selection points. Committing to domestic makes the raw material's history easier to trace and variation in taste and heat easier to manage. Agriture processes domestic chili pepper into dried and powder forms and handles raw-material supply from small lots. On making ichimi and shichimi, seean explanation of shichimi OEM.

Frequently asked questions

Summary: remember chili pepper types by heat and use

Chili pepper has many types, from hot varieties such as Takanotsume, Hontaka, Yatsubusa, and Santaka, to non-spicy sweet-long types such as shishito, Manganji pepper, and Fushimi tougarashi, native varieties such as Kagawa Hontaka and Tochigi Santaka, and world varieties such as jalapeño and habanero. Dividing them broadly first into "hot or non-spicy," then choosing by the heat guide, producing region, and how they're used in cooking, lets you use them differently without hesitation.

Enjoy aroma when fresh, concentrate heat and umami when dried, and spread heat evenly through a dish as powder. Change the form, and one variety's uses widen greatly. Once you find a variety that intrigues you, please also seehow to use dried chili pepperand the commercialhow to choose chili pepper powder、the difference between ichimi and shichimi. Make good use of domestic chili pepper to add heat and color to your everyday cooking.