Dafang Wrinkled Pepper

Dafang Wrinkled Pepper

Dafang Wrinkled Pepper is a geographical indication certification trademark.

Dafang Wrinkled Pepper is a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Dafang has a long history of growing chili peppers, with string peppers and wrinkled peppers cultivated for over 400 years. The Dafang County Annals even mention "haizhī" (chili peppers). Legend has it that during the Ming Dynasty, She Xiang, a female Yi politician and Yunnan-Guizhou Governor from Dafang, visited Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, bringing dried Dafang chili peppers. After tasting them, the emperor found them both spicy and fragrant. Noticing how wrinkled the Dafang peppers were, he named them “wrinkled peppers,” and demanded an annual tribute ever since. Thus, Dafang chili peppers are also known as “tribute peppers,” and rank among China’s seven most famous chilies. In salt-scarce Guizhou, during the Kangxi era (1662–1722), locals used chili peppers “as a salt substitute,” highlighting how closely they were tied to daily life. From the Qianlong period (1736–1795) onward, chili consumption increased significantly in Guizhou. By then, neighboring Zhenxiong in Yunnan and Chenzhou Prefecture in Hunan to the east of Guizhou had also started eating chili. After the Jiaqing era (1796–1820), chili cultivation became widespread across Guizhou, Hunan, and Sichuan. Records from the Jiaqing period indicate that regions such as Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, and Sichuan had begun “growing chilies as a vegetable.” By the Daoguang era (1821–1850), northern Guizhou (including Dafang) had reached the point where “no meal was complete without chili,” and during the Tongzhi period, the popular cornmeal dishes were often served with bean curd and a dipping sauce made from soaked salt blocks and chili.

　　Wrinkled pepper, also known as chicken claw pepper or string pepper, is a traditional specialty of Dafang County in Guizhou, with the chicken claw pepper from Jichang Township being the most famous. Most of the soil in Jichang Township is well-suited for wrinkled pepper production, and local farmers have both the habit of cultivation and long-accumulated experience. The chicken claw pepper sold in our store is specially handpicked by the shop owner’s husband who drives directly to Jichang Township in Dafang. This variety is high in vitamin C, bright red in color, long in shape with many wrinkles, thick-fleshed, and boasts a rich aroma and moderate spiciness — making it an excellent condiment. The well-known Lao Gan Ma brand chili products from Guiyang primarily use Dafang chicken claw pepper as their raw material. These peppers have always been popular throughout Southeast Asia and are quite competitive in the international market.

　　Geographic Scope

　　The protected area for the Dafang Wrinkled Pepper geographical indication for agricultural products includes 36 towns and townships: Dafang Town, Shuangshan Town, Maochang Town, Machang Town, Yangchang Town, Huangnitang Town, Liulong Town, Daxi Town, Piaojing Town, Changshi Town, Dongguan Township, Zhuyuan Township, Xiangshui Township, Wenge Township, Lutang Township, Dingxin Township, Niuchang Township, Gaodian Township, Xiaotun Township, Lihua Township, Jichang Township, Fengshan Township, Anle Township, Hetao Township, Babao Township, Xinglong Township, Guowa Township, Dashan Township, Yuchong Township, Huangni Township, Dashui Township, Shachang Township, Pudi Township, Baina Township, Sanyuan Township, and Xingxiu Township. It borders Qianxi County to the east, touches Jinsha County to the northeast, connects with Zhijin County across Liuzhong River to the south, shares a boundary with Nayong County via Guazhong River to the southwest, and links to the Qixingguan District of Bijie City to the west and northwest. Major roads such as Daning and Guibi highways run through the county, with Fangsha and Fangna roads extending east-west. The geographic coordinates are between 105°15’47” and 106°08’04” east longitude, and 26°50’02” and 27°36’04” north latitude, covering a cultivation area of 3,502 square kilometers. The planting area of Dafang Wrinkled Pepper is 130,000 mu, with an annual output of 34.16 million kilograms.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　External Sensory Features: Dafang Wrinkled Peppers are long and string-like in shape. Grade one peppers average 21 cm in length, with the longest reaching 28.3 cm. They are neat and aesthetically pleasing in appearance, with minimal curvature and uniformly distributed wrinkles. Their color is bright red, and the surface is smooth. Internal Quality Indicators: When consumed, Dafang Wrinkled Peppers offer a moderate level of spiciness with a strong aroma. According to analysis by the Guizhou Agricultural Products Quality and Safety Testing Center, Dafang Wrinkled Peppers are nutritionally rich, containing various beneficial mineral elements, low in fat, and relatively high in crude fiber. Specifically, they contain 3.2–4.8% crude fat, 21.48–31.2% crude fiber, 2,700–3,400 mg/kg phosphorus, 1,594–1,950 mg/kg magnesium, 673.3–900 mg/kg calcium, 9.0–11.3 mg/kg copper, 73.35–78.00 mg/kg iron, and 18.00–28.93 mg/kg zinc. The content of red pigment ranges between 2.5%–3.0%, superior to that of chili peppers from other regions. (4) The production of Dafang Wrinkled Peppers strictly follows the standards set by NY5229-2004 “Pollution-Free Dried Chili Peppers” and DB52/T462-2004 “Guizhou High-Quality Dried Chili Peppers.”