Red Chili Guide: Heat vs Colour
Guntur for heat, Byadgi for colour, Kashmiri for flavour — and how masala manufacturers blend them for the exact ratio they need.
The Heat-Colour Spectrum
Most people think of chili as a single variable — how hot is it? In the wholesale spice trade, chili has two independent variables: heat (pungency) and colour (pigment intensity). Understanding this distinction is the difference between buying the right chili and overpaying for characteristics you don’t need.
Heat is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Colour is measured on the ASTA scale — a standardized pigment measurement where higher numbers mean deeper red. These two properties vary independently: Guntur Teja has high heat (50,000-75,000 SHU) and moderate colour; Byadgi has very high colour (ASTA 120-180) but low heat (8,000-15,000 SHU).
If you’re making a curry powder that needs to be deep red without being painfully spicy, Byadgi is your chili. If you’re making a hot sauce or a spicy snack masala, Guntur Teja gives you the punch. Most masala manufacturers use blends — and getting the ratio right is where margin is made or lost.
Guntur Teja (S17): India’s Heat Workhorse
Guntur in Andhra Pradesh produces over 30% of India’s red chili output. The dominant variety is Teja (also called S17), which has become India’s most exported chili variety.
Heat: 50,000-75,000 SHU. This is serious heat — roughly 10x hotter than a jalapeño. A little goes a long way in masala formulations.
Colour: Moderate. ASTA values of 40-80. Bright red but not the deep, rich red that Byadgi produces. For applications where colour matters as much as heat, Teja alone won’t deliver.
Pricing: Mid-range. Teja is the benchmark — other varieties are priced relative to it. Availability is excellent year-round from the Guntur market.
Best for: Masala manufacturing (as the heat component), oleoresin extraction, hot sauces, spicy snack seasonings, and export to markets that want heat above all else.
Byadgi & Kashmiri: Colour Without the Burn
Byadgi (Karnataka): India’s premium colour chili. The wrinkled, dark-red Byadgi pod produces a deep, almost maroon colour when ground — with minimal heat (8,000-15,000 SHU). ASTA colour values of 120-180 make it the go-to chili for any application where vibrant colour is the goal.
Byadgi is essential in South Indian cuisine — it’s what gives a Udupi sambar or a Mangalorean curry its characteristic deep red without excessive heat. For masala manufacturers, Byadgi is the colour component in blends. Premium Byadgi commands a 30-50% premium over Guntur Teja.
Kashmiri Chili: The mildest of the three, with only 1,000-2,000 SHU but a bright, vibrant red colour (different from Byadgi’s deeper maroon). Kashmiri chili gives rogan josh and tandoori marinades their signature look. It’s more about flavour and colour than heat.
Kashmiri chili is increasingly scarce from actual Kashmir — much of what’s sold as ‘Kashmiri’ in wholesale markets is actually a mild variety from Himachal Pradesh or a Byadgi-Teja blend. If origin matters to your customers, verify sourcing carefully.
Blending: The Masala Manufacturer’s Formula
Most commercial masala products use a blend of chili varieties to hit a target heat-colour ratio. The formula depends on what the end product needs to deliver.
Example: A standard ‘kitchen’ red chili powder sold in retail packs typically aims for moderate heat with good colour — roughly 25,000-30,000 SHU with an ASTA of 80-100. This is achieved by blending about 40% Guntur Teja with 60% Byadgi.
A hot chili powder (labelled ‘extra hot’ or ‘tikhi’) might be 80% Teja and 20% Byadgi — enough colour to look good, with serious heat.
For tandoori and tikka masala, where deep red colour is critical but heat should be controlled, the blend might be 70% Byadgi with 15% Kashmiri and 15% Teja — rich colour, mild heat, good flavour complexity.
The economics of blending matter. Byadgi costs more per kg, but you need less of it for colour than you need Teja for heat. Run small test batches before committing to large volumes of a specific blend ratio. At Star Almond, we supply all three varieties and can advise on blending ratios based on your target product profile.