BACA Global Exports
Origin Story

Guntur & Byadgi: India's Chilli Country

From the Teja heat of Guntur to the deep, wrinkled red of Byadgi, the districts that colour the world's kitchens.

BACA Export Desk·25 Feb 2026·8 min read

India is the world's largest producer and exporter of chilli, and two names carry most of that reputation abroad: Guntur for heat, and Byadgi for colour. Understanding the difference is the key to buying the right chilli for the right job.

Key Takeaways
Guntur (Teja) is bought for heat; Byadgi for deep natural colour and mild heat.
Buy chilli against two numbers: Scoville (heat) and ASTA (colour).
A named origin plus a lab report gets you the same heat/colour profile, lot after lot.

Guntur: the heat

Guntur in Andhra Pradesh is the beating heart of Indian chilli trade, home to one of Asia's largest chilli markets. Its signature varieties, led by Teja (S17), are prized for high pungency (Scoville heat) and a strong, sharp red. Guntur chilli is the default when a buyer needs genuine heat and a punchy colour for sauces, seasonings and spice blends.

Byadgi: the colour

Byadgi in Karnataka is the opposite specialist. Its long, deeply wrinkled, dark-red pods are comparatively low in heat but exceptionally high in natural colour, the source of the ASTA colour value that food manufacturers and oleoresin extractors chase. When a product needs a rich red without overwhelming pungency, Byadgi is the answer.

Heat or colour? Pick by applicationGuntur / Teja, high Scoville, strong colour, for heat-forward products. Byadgi, high ASTA colour, mild heat, for natural colour and oleoresin. Many buyers blend the two to hit a target heat and colour.

Why the district on the label matters

Chilli is bought against two numbers, Scoville (heat) and ASTA (colour), and the growing district is the fastest predictor of both. Sourcing from a named origin, with a lab report confirming heat and colour, means you get the exact profile your product was designed around, lot after lot.

The Bottom LineIndia's chilli map is really a map of heat and colour: Guntur brings the fire, Byadgi brings the red. Decide which your application needs, or the blend of both, specify the Scoville and ASTA to match, and buy it from a traceable origin. We ship Teja, Sannam and Byadgi to spec, with the numbers to prove it.

Read next

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