Chengdu Chili Powder

In Chengdu, skewers, hotpot, barbecue, and cold dressed dishes all call for a small dish of chili powder. Ours is made from Erjingtiao and Chaotianjiao chilies in a 7:3 ratio, pounded in a traditional stone mortar. Erjingtiao brings fragrance, Chaotianjiao brings heat, and stone-mortar pounding preserves the texture of the chili seeds.

Its uses are wide-ranging: a dip for chuan-chuan skewers (mix with Sichuan pepper powder and sesame), chili oil (pour hot oil over the chili powder), a dressing for cold dishes (mix with crushed garlic and vinegar), or a meat marinade (mix with salt and Sichuan pepper). One bottle opens up a whole world of Sichuan cooking.

Ingredients