Byadgi Peppers are measure a relatively mild 50,000 to 100,000 on the Scoville Scale. Because of their appearance, they are easy to mistake for the similar Kashmiri Chili Pepper. These babies can rake in as much as 3 billion Indian Rupees each year at the Byadagi Chilli Market alone, which is equal to 75 million US Dollars.
Appearance
The Byadgi Pepper is a vibrant red clocking in at 160 to 275 ASTA and can get up to five inches long without the stem. They are also famous for being more wrinkled than a crumpled piece of paper, but in the case of the Byadgi Pepper, wrinkles are a good thing. The more wrinkles a Byadgi Pepper has, the more likely it is to knock your socks off. Byadgi Peppers are also sweet, spicy and a little pungent.
Origins
The Byadgi Pepper, also called the “Kaddi Pepper” or “Stick-like Pepper,” hails from the Indian subcontinent and has become the hometown hero of Byadagi in the Indian province of Karnataka. They contain a special oil called oleoresin which is used in the production of nail polish and lipstick, giving a whole new meaning to the term “hot lips.”
Growing Byadgi Peppers
Byadgi seeds are available for purchase online. Natural Byadgi Peppers do not produce much offspring, however. Because of extremely high international demand, a high-yielding Byadgi Pepper hybrid was released by the Indian government in 2013 to meet this new surge in demand. The new hybrid is naturally pest resistant and can tolerate drought and heavy rainfall.
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