Feeling Chilli? Win Tickets to Canada Day & The Annual Hot Pepper Eating Contest

It’s Canada Day tomorrow (as far as Beijing is concerned, anyway) and that means but one thing – it’s the Annual Hot Chilli Pepper Eating Contest at the Canadian International School. We’re giving five lucky readers the chance to win a pair of tickets to the Canada Day event (worth RMB 160 each). Those brave enough can enter the Chilli Pepper eating competition too. Just to spice things up, we’re also giving away free chilli peppers to the winners; we've got every type of hot pepper available in Beijing, and it’s a lucky dip as to which of the following you’ll get. Read on to see Tom O’Malley’s upcoming Dining Feature on peppers and to answer the question to win the tickets.

To win just tell us what is the hottest thing that you have ever put in your mouth.
Leave a comment on this post below to enter the competition. Winners will be notified by 5pm today to arrange collection of tickets.
Good luck. Now over to Tom.

A Guide to Peppers by Tom “Hot Stuff” O’Malley

cai jiao 彩椒
This ornamental pepper – literally “colorful pepper” – is used to add vibrancy and flair to fried dishes. High in vitamin C, it’s good for dispelling summer heat. Cai jiao is also sweeter than other varieties, so it works well in cold dishes and salads.
Heat: none

qing jiao 青椒 or shizi jiao 柿子椒
This is another type of cai jiao. You probably know it as bell pepper, or “persimmon pepper,” so called because of the shape. Sweet and mushy when roasted; crunchy and sharp when eaten raw. With almost no heat and a nudge of bitterness, it’s a jiachang cai stir-fry standby. The green qing jiao is, however, decidedly less sweet than the red or yellow varieties, so don’t substitute.
Heat: none

xian jiao 线椒
A bit harder to find in Beijing than the others here, these thin, gnarled peppers from Sichuan province pack some serious heat. Sometimes mistaken by cooks for the similarly proportioned hang jiao – with disastrous results. Safety tip: These are a wee bit longer with a more knotted skin than hang jiao. Common in Guizhou dishes.
Heat: very hot

hong meiren jiao 红美人椒
These medium-to-small red chillis with a balanced, moderate heat and fragrance often feature in seafood dishes.
Heat: medium

hang jiao 杭椒
Named after Hangzhou, the main site of their cultivation, these smallish green peppers are exceedingly fragrant, without a great deal of spice. Market vendors usually charge more for it than other varieties, and sometimes try to pass off more common strains of peppers as hang jiao.
Heat: very mild

denglong jiao 灯笼椒
Also known as pimento or cherry peppers, these stubby little fellows are known for their fragrance coupled with a gentle to moderate heat. Usually sold sun-dried, they’re used extensively in Sichuanese dishes.
Heat: mild to medium

jian jiao 尖椒 or hongjian jiao 红尖椒
Delivering varying levels of fire, these tall, banana-shaped peppers are the mainstay of many homestyle Chinese dishes. The red peppers are slightly sweeter (essentially riper versions of the same fruit). Due to its shape, jian jiao are often skewered and barbecued in Beijing’s chuan’r restaurants.
Heat: mild to medium

xiaomi jiao 小米椒 or chaotian jiao 朝天椒
Similar to a Thai Bird’s Eye or piri-piri, but not quite as red-hot. In China these peppers are called “facing heaven peppers” because they grow pod-upwards like exploding red flowers. Used raw, they instill no-nonsense fire in a range of cold and hot dishes.
Heat: hot

zidantou lajiao 子弹头辣椒
These sun-dried Sichuan “bullet” chillis are your common or garden variety. Varying slightly in size, color and heat, they are, as a rule, aromatic, hot and brilliant red. A spicy workhorse used in hundreds of different dishes or to make chilli oil and powder.
Heat: medium

Fujian lajiao wang 福建辣椒王
This dried chilli resembles the zidantou lajiao, but is more slender with a distinctively sharp tail. It has a pleasant fragrance, but the tough skin guards seeds which pack huge heat – a single lick might burn your tongue off. These little peppers can be reused again and again, but it takes several outings before the spice even begins to abate.
Heat: high

For winners who don’t fancy eating their prize (the chillies, not the tickets) raw, here’s an idea:

Store-bought hot sauces are usually overloaded with additives and MSG, so why not make your own chilli sauce? It’s easy. Finely chop the hell out of a few handfuls of xiaomi jiao. (Wear gloves!) Cook in oil on low heat for a minute. Add a splash of yellow rice wine and dark rice vinegar. Wait a couple more minutes, and stir in a big spoon of sugar and a bit less of salt. Let cool and transfer to a jar. It’ll keep for a bit less than a month in the fridge. Use sparingly.

Look for more of Tom's pepper picking in the upcoming July issue.

Canada Day begins at 3pm. The Chilli-Eating Contest begins at 4.55pm.