The innovative white chili pepper "Qujiao No 1", produced in Quzhou, Zhejiang province, was recently selected as the sole chili variety in the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs' 2025 leading varieties in agriculture.

Quzhou's white chilies now dominate over 90 percent of the national white chili market. Over the last three years, these chilies have generated a total output of 236 million yuan ($32.47 million) with the cultivation area of over 140 square kilometers across the country.

The Quzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences has developed three white chili varieties in recent years – "Qujiao No 1", Yulong chili, and "Qujiao No 5".

Of these, "Qujiao No 1" – the first domestic hybrid white chili – has been a leading variety in agriculture in Zhejiang since 2017, and "Qujiao No 5" is an improved version of "Qujiao No 1".

Farmhands plant white chili seedlings. [Photo/Tide News]

Farm owner Jiang Yanxiang from Qujiang district, Quzhou highlights the popularity of "Qujiao No 5" – noting that this kind of white chili pepper sells at 16 yuan per kilogram due to its balanced heat and distinct flavor.

According to Zhang Ting, deputy director of the academy's vegetable institute, both "Qujiao No 1" and "Qujiao No 5" are horn-shaped and yellow-white.

However, the latter excels in freshness, containing 1.5 times more umami amino acids than regular chilies, according to Zhang. It also features a thin skin, a thick flesh, and a high yield.