With stem, stemless and stem-cut
- With stem. The pod as harvested, stalk and calyx attached. Preferred for retail packs and some food-service markets because the pod stays whole and looks natural.
- Stemless. Stem and calyx removed by hand or machine. Preferred for grinding and extraction because the stem adds weight, ash and no value. It is priced higher than stem-on pods since the removed stem is lost weight and labour.
- Stem-cut. The stalk trimmed short with the calyx left on: a compromise that packs tighter than full stem and breaks less than fully stemless pods.
Length, colour and variety
Length is quoted in classes. Teja pods run 6 to 9 cm, Sannam 7 to 10 cm and Byadgi 10 to 15 cm, so a quotation will usually show the variety with a class such as 8 to 10 cm. Uniform length matters for retail packs and for visual appeal; it matters little for grinding.
Colour is judged against the variety: bright red for Teja, deep glossy red for Sannam, dark crimson for Byadgi. Pale, yellowed or white-patched pods indicate sun-scald, age or fungal damage and are counted as discoloured.
Tolerances behind the grades
Trade names for grades vary by market yard, from Deluxe and Best to Medium, or simply A and B. Ask for the numbers behind the name. A typical top-grade export specification reads as follows.
| Parameter | Top grade | Standard grade |
|---|---|---|
| Broken pods | Below 3 % | Up to 10 % |
| Loose seed | Below 2 % | Below 4 % |
| Damaged and discoloured pods | Below 2 % | Below 5 % |
| Foreign matter | Below 1 % | Below 2 % |
| Moisture | 11 to 12 % | 11 to 12 % |
| Sudan dyes I to IV | Not detected | Not detected |
| Aflatoxins | Within destination limits | Within destination limits |
New crop or cold storage
Guntur harvests from December to March. Pods sold during and just after harvest are new crop. The rest goes into cold storage at 4 to 8 degrees Celsius and is sold through the year as cold-storage stock, which keeps its colour well and costs more to reflect storage. Both are good; what matters is that the quotation says which, and that colour is tested on the lot you are buying.
Packing and treatment
Whole pods are bulky. They are packed in PP woven bags of 10 to 25 kg, in jute bags, or compressed into bales to raise the container load. A 40-foot high-cube container is the usual choice for pods.
Insect control is by fumigation where the destination requires or accepts it, with a fumigation certificate. Buyers who need a microbial kill step on whole pods specify steam treatment; extractors and grinders with their own kill step usually take untreated, cleaned pods.
Questions on this topic
What is the difference between stemless and with-stem dried chilli?
With-stem pods keep the stalk and calyx and are preferred for retail and food service. Stemless pods have them removed and are preferred for grinding and extraction because the stem adds weight and ash without value. Stemless pods cost more per kilogram because of the lost weight and the labour.
What moisture should whole dried chillies have?
Between 11 and 12 percent at packing. Drier pods become brittle and break in transit; wetter pods risk mould and aflatoxin. Powder and flakes are held lower, below 10 percent.
What is cold storage chilli?
Dried chilli kept at 4 to 8 degrees Celsius after harvest and sold later in the year. Cold storage protects colour and slows insect activity, which is how Guntur supplies export orders in every month from a single annual harvest.
How many broken pods are acceptable in whole dried chilli?
A top export grade allows under 3 percent broken pods, with under 2 percent loose seed and under 1 percent foreign matter. A standard grade allows up to about 10 percent broken. Richvane states the tolerance in the quotation and on the certificate.
Which whole dried chillies does India export most?
Teja S17 in the largest volume, mainly to China, Thailand and extraction plants, followed by Sannam S4 for spice packers and food service, and Byadgi for colour. Richvane supplies all three from Guntur and Karnataka.