The four names describe chillies bought for different jobs. Teja is a very hot chilli, Sannam S4 is a medium-hot general purpose chilli, and Byadgi and Kashmiri types are mild chillies valued for their deep red colour.
So the real question is what you need from the chilli: heat, colour, or a balance of both. Once you know that, the choice of variety usually follows.
The four types at a glance
- Teja: grown mainly in Telangana, with Khammam a well-known source. Small, thin-skinned, bright red and very pungent. Often bought for hot chilli powder, sauces and capsaicin or oleoresin extraction.
- Sannam S4: the classic Guntur chilli from Andhra Pradesh. Medium to hot, good red colour, long pods. The most widely traded Indian type and a common choice for general chilli powder and crushed chilli.
- Byadgi: named after the Byadgi market in Karnataka. Wrinkled skin, deep red colour and low heat. Used where colour matters more than pungency, and as a raw material for colour extraction.
- Kashmiri type: a mild chilli with bright red colour, used in Indian cooking for colour. Much of what is traded under this name is grown outside Kashmir, so treat it as a trade description, not an origin claim.
Heat and colour work against each other
As a broad rule, the hottest Indian chillies are not the reddest, and the reddest are not the hottest. Heat is measured in Scoville Heat Units, or SHU. Colour is measured as ASTA colour value. See our guides to ASTA colour value and the SHU range of Indian chillies.
Many buyers blend two types to hit a target. A hot chilli brings pungency and a mild colour chilli lifts the red. That is common practice in chilli powder, and it is why you should write both a heat and a colour range into your spec.
Names are not specifications
Variety names in India are trade names. Within one variety, heat and colour vary with the season, the farm, the drying and how long the chilli has been in cold storage. Hybrids and look-alike varieties are also sold under the better-known names.
- Ask for SHU and ASTA results from the actual lot, not a typical figure for the variety.
- Specify stemless or with-stem, pod length if it matters, and the share of broken or discoloured pods allowed.
- Set limits for moisture, aflatoxin and pesticide residues for your market.
- Approve a sample and keep a sealed reference for comparison at loading.
Which one fits your use
- Hot powder, sauces or extraction: Teja, or a Teja blend.
- General chilli powder and crushed chilli: Sannam S4.
- Colour-led blends, mild curry powders and paprika-style use: Byadgi or Kashmiri type.
- A set heat and colour target: a blend of two types, tested against your spec.
How we help
We source chilli from processors who buy at the main Guntur and Karnataka markets, have each lot tested for heat, colour, aflatoxin and residues at an NABL-accredited lab, and check the pods at loading against your approved sample. To scope your chilli needs, ask for a free sourcing review.