Xinjiang Zong Jiao Wrinkled Chili

  China is the largest producer and consumer of chilies in the world, and while Guizhou Province is the top producer in the country, the Gobi Desert of Xinjiang is also, surprisingly, a major grower of chilies. The Turkic Uyghur people of Xinjiang got a taste for chilies centuries ago as they were traded along the Silk Road, incorporating them into their cuisine and even adapting them for local cultivation. While they grow many varieties for trade, today the most popular for local cooking is the wrinkled er jing tiao, which is called zong jiao. While this cultivar of er jing tiao is related to the Guizhou/Sichuan variety, it presents very differently due to the local growing conditions. The harsh desert sun and heat of daytime alternating with extreme colds at night extracts moisture from the chilies and causes them to wrinkle. Thinner skin and less moisture also means they wrinkle more when dried. Because the Uyghurs prize this wrinkled quality, all drying is done naturally, without t