Tien Tsin Chiles

Tien Tsin chile peppers are named after the province of China in which they are harvested. Don't let the cute appearance of these bright red shiny peppers fool you they are extremely hot. Their heat ranges from 50,000 – 75,000 Scoville heat units. Tien Tsin chile peppers fall under the category of "exotics," or chile peppers once more commonly grown in Asia but now popularly also grown in the United States. They adapt themselves beautifully to the Hunan and Szechuan styles of cooking. Many Americans will know this pepper as the key heat source for Kung Pao Chicken. If you are trying to decide on the amount you need, they are very light and come dozens per ounce. These are popular peppers for infusing vodka as well as chili oils and pastes.