Sea of red as China’s chilli heartland celebrates a bumper harvest
Aerial footage shows vast swathes of land in the west covered with peppers as farmers collect hundreds of thousands of tonnes
Aerial footage shows off a sea of red across the far west of China as local chilli farmers celebrate a bumper autumn harvest.
Xinjiang is one of China’s major chilli growing areas, with a total planting area of 40,000 hectares.
Its annual production of 250,000 tonnes of dried chillies accounts for one fifth of the national total production, according to China Central Television.
Local cuisine makes the most of the region’s bounty, with signature dishes that include the hot and peppery dapanji, or “big plate chicken”.
This spicy stew is made with chicken, chillies and potatoes, with hand-pulled noodles added to the remaining gravy midway through the meal.
One of the biggest chilli production bases is Anjihai Town, nicknamed China’s chilli hometown, which produces around 25,000 tonnes of chilli by itself.