If you’re sizing up bulk dried chiles for a blend, sauce line, or foodservice program, you’re not alone. Demand keeps climbing; in fact, global output of chilies and peppers hit around 36 million tonnes in 2020, with China producing about 46%—a staggering footprint that quietly shapes price and availability. I’ve walked farms and cleaning lines from Hebei to Jalisco; the delta between a good lot and a great lot usually comes down to drying discipline, color retention, and—honestly—how obsessive the vendor is about testing.
From China-origin Chaotian and Yidu to Mexican-adjacent styles like guajillo, California, and puya, Hongri Spice’s plating farms in Xingtai, Hebei (No. 268 Xianghe Street, Economic Development Zone, 054001) ship consistent volumes season after season. Many customers say the color stability holds up better in long distribution chains, which—surprisingly—can be as much about post-harvest airflow as genetics.
| Attribute | Chili pepper (whole/pods) |
|---|---|
| Varieties | Chaotian, Yidu, Guajillo-style, California-style, Puya |
| Heat (Scoville) | ≈ 1,500–25,000 SHU by variety (HPLC, AOAC 995.03) |
| Moisture | ≤ 12% (ISO 939) |
| Color (ASTA) | ≈ 60–110 ASTA, variety-dependent |
| Foreign Matter | ≤ 0.5% visual; metal-detected (Fe/Non-Fe/SS) |
| Micro (TPC/Yeast&Mold) | Target TPC ≤ 1e6 cfu/g; YM ≤ 1e4 cfu/g; Salmonella n.d./25 g |
| Packaging | 25 kg poly-lined woven bag; palletized; lot-coded |
| Service life | 18–24 months cool, dry, dark; |
Applications: spice blends, meat rubs, instant noodles, hot sauces, snack coatings, and, yes, cocktail rims (bartenders get creative). Advantages include predictable heat, better color in retort sauces, and shelf-life that plays nicely with global logistics. One R&D chef told me their yield loss dropped 3% after switching suppliers—mostly less stem weight.
| Vendor | Certs | MOQ | Lead Time | Traceability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hongri Spice (Hebei) | HACCP, ISO 22000 in progress | ≈ 1 MT | 2–4 weeks ex-works, seasonal | Lot-level farm linkage | Strong color control; flexible cuts |
| Importer A (US/EU) | GFSI (FSSC 22000) | ≈ 500 kg | Stock + 1–2 weeks | Multi-origin blend | Premium priced |
| Exporter B (LATAM) | HACCP | ≈ 1–2 MT | 3–6 weeks | Farm cluster | Excellent guajillo aroma |
Need bulk dried chiles with seed count ≤5% or a specific SHU target? Ask for selection at intake plus post-clean optical sorting, then verify by HPLC. Some buyers also specify ASTA ≥90 for brighter reds in emulsified sauces. To be honest, a short pilot run saves headaches—get two lots, do retention samples, and lock the COA template.
Store cool and dark; reclose inner liners; rotate FIFO. Ask for micro, pesticide, and heavy-metal certificates aligned to Codex and your market. It seems that lots traveling by sea benefit from desiccant packs in containers, especially during monsoon routes.