Guide to Indian Red Chilli Varieties for Export: Sannam, Teja, Byadagi & More

Not all Indian dry red chillies are interchangeable. Buyers sourcing for retail packing, chilli powder, sauce and seasoning blends, or oleoresin extraction each look for a different balance of pungency and color — and India’s major growing regions have developed varieties suited to exactly those different uses. Here is how four of the most widely exported varieties compare.

334-S4-Sannam-S10 — The All-Purpose Standard

• Pungency: 15,000–18,000 SHU (medium)
• Color: 50–60 ASTA
• Pericarp: Thin
• Best suited for: General-purpose chilli powder and flakes where a balanced, moderate heat is required.

Sannam-type chilli is one of the most widely traded Indian varieties precisely because its medium pungency and moderate color work across a broad range of food applications without dominating a blend.

Teja / S17 — For High-Heat Applications

• Pungency: 70,000–80,000 SHU (high)
• Color: 70–80 ASTA
• Pericarp: Thin
• Best suited for: Hot sauces, spicy seasoning blends, and any application where heat is the primary requirement.

Grown extensively in Andhra Pradesh, Teja is among the highest-pungency chilli varieties commercially exported from India, making it a preferred choice for buyers formulating products where capsaicin content is the key specification.

Byadagi — For Color-Led Applications

• Pungency: 8,000–10,000 SHU (low)
• Color: 200–240 ASTA
• Pericarp: Thick
• Best suited for: Oleoresin and color extraction, and dishes where deep red color matters more than heat.

Byadagi chilli, grown in Karnataka, sits at almost the opposite end of the spectrum from Teja: very low pungency paired with an exceptionally high ASTA color value. It is the variety of choice when color yield, not capsaicin, is the buying criterion.

341 — A Balanced Middle Ground

• Pungency: 35,000–45,000 SHU (medium)
• Color: 130–140 ASTA
• Pericarp: Thick
• Best suited for: Buyers who need noticeably more color and heat than Sannam-type chilli but without going to Teja-level pungency.

Choosing the Right Variety

The fastest way to shortlist a variety is to work backward from your two key numbers: target SHU and target ASTA. All four varieties above are available with or without stem, and as powder or flakes, so the format can usually be adjusted independently of the pungency and color specification. AgroHaat also supplies several additional varieties beyond these four — see the full chilli range for the complete list with detailed specification sheets.