Changge Food

The World’s Pepper Capital! What makes Guizhou “trade globally”?

Three hundred years ago, the straightforward, robust, and intensely flavorful chili pepper wasn't loved by everyone—only those living deep in the mountains truly appreciated its unique charm. Today, amid our fast-paced lifestyle and diverse culinary landscape, the chili's vibrant character is winning over people from all walks of life. The exquisite delicacies painstakingly crafted by the folks of Guizhou are now astonishing the world.

Chili for Hot Pot

Eating hot pot is all about attention to detail. In the hands of Guizhou people, there’s virtually nothing that can’t be turned into a hot pot dish—just whip up a richly flavored masterpiece, ladle in plenty of broth, and toss in meats and vegetables for a quick dip. What makes it truly special is its effortless, carefree vibe, and the fact that different regions have developed their own distinct styles. For a clear-soup stewed-meat hot pot, you simply can’t do without chili paste mixed with fermented soybean paste as your dipping sauce—and don’t forget to add extra garlic, ground pepper, and Sichuan peppercorns to cut through any gaminess and enhance the freshness, allowing you to fully savor the meat’s authentic flavor. If it’s a Huangmen lamb hot pot from northern Guizhou or a spicy chicken hot pot from central Guizhou, where the broth itself is already intensely aromatic, your dipping sauce should be light and delicate; crushing fresh chili peppers into a paste is the freshest way to enjoy “Guizhou’s mild spiciness.”

The tangy aroma of fermented chili peppers might truly be considered the soul of Guizhou cuisine.

Guizhou, with its humid climate, has naturally developed the exquisite art of “fermentation.” Using rock sugar and baijiu as the foundation, it creates the delicate structure of “zao zui”—a flavor profile that’s both heady and mellow. Fresh chili peppers, ripe and enticing in July and August, are swiftly chopped into tiny pieces, then enhanced with salt and young ginger to elevate their flavor complexity. After sealing them in jars for a month or two, the pungent aroma of chili is infused with a gentle sweetness and subtle tanginess. As the saying goes, “Guizhou cuisine may change with the seasons, but zao chili remains steadfast.” This treasured condiment pairs beautifully with nearly every ingredient: simmered fish with zao chili, stir-fried fatty intestines with zao chili—when paired with proteins from meat, they become tender and irresistibly fresh; when used in vegetarian stir-fries or cold salads, they bring a refreshing, crisp liveliness to the dish.

Guizhou’s mountains are truly a treasure trove of chili peppers!

“Hú chili” has a rich, slightly burnt aroma—a scent that instantly transports you back to your childhood, evoking memories of the hearth where fires were stoked, freshly baked sweet potatoes sizzling on an iron stove, and piping-hot, crispy cookies just pulled from the oven. In Guizhou, people always keep some dried chilies at home. They bury these chilies in firewood or coal ash, roast them until they’re lightly crisp, still warm and steaming, then toss them straight into a mortar and pestle to be crushed. The charred skin cracks open, revealing dark-yellow seeds, while the pungent aroma retains the warmth of the firewood. Dried chili flakes best capture this authentic flavor; sprinkled into beef noodle soup, they’re simply perfect. After all, Guizhou’s beef noodle soup is typically topped with a thick, fragrant layer of beef tallow—just a dash of hú chili can perfectly enhance the taste, bringing out every last drop of savory goodness from the broth.

What kind of “perfect match” is there between chili peppers and the people of Guizhou?

With its mountainous terrain—“eight parts mountains, one part water, and one part farmland”—this region often presented people of that era with numerous challenges, such as scarce arable land and inconvenient transportation. Yet, thanks to the clever combination with chili peppers, these very challenges have actually turned into unique advantages: this vegetable doesn't require vast tracts of cultivated land and thrives beautifully even in the rugged mountain landscapes. As long as someone is willing to plant it, it will take root and flourish, blooming everywhere across every nook and cranny of the mountains. Moreover, due to the complex, vertically varying microclimates found in these mountainous regions, countless varieties of chili peppers have emerged, each with its own distinct flavors and forms.

Understand what “chili ceiling” means.

Peppers—Guizhou residents call them “haijiao.” The character “hai” reveals the mystery of its origins: this seasoning king, which has passionately “burned” its way onto dining tables across the country, is indeed an imported product that traveled across the seas. Its ancestral home is in the Americas. During the Ming Dynasty, it was introduced to China via maritime trade routes, first landing in Zhejiang and Fujian. Yet for a full century, Chinese people regarded it merely as an ornamental plant and medicinal herb—until, in the 60th year of the Kangxi reign, the local gazetteer of Sizhou (today’s northeastern Guizhou region) finally recorded: “Haijiao, commonly known as lahuo, is used by the local ethnic minorities as a substitute for salt.”