Tianshui Malatang has gained great popularity. It turns out that the soul condiment "Gan Gu Pepper" is the hidden king!

Gangu pepper is the soul of Tianshui Malatang. Its unique taste and rich nutrients give Tianshui Malatang a unique flavor and charm.

Gangu pepper is a specialty of Gangu County, Gansu Province. It is famous for its long body, thick skin, good color, strong spicy taste and high oil content. This pepper is shaped like a cow's horn, about 18-20 cm long and about 1 cm in diameter. Gangu pepper is rich in capsaicin, capsanthin, protein, carotene, fatty oil, solanine, a large amount of vitamin C, trace amounts of volatile oil and other nutrients. Gangu pepper has a very suitable taste and has antioxidant, whitening and freckle removal effects. Its iron content is as high as 67.48 mg/100g, and the trans-capsanthin content also reaches 17.02 g/kg, which makes the color of Gangu pepper brighter and the fragrance more intense.

Image source: Official Weibo of Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism

Gangu peppers are spicy and have a lot of oil, which makes them provide a unique aroma and taste in foods such as spicy hot pot. Gangu peppers contain 45 flavor substances such as aldehydes, alkenes, and alcohols, which is significantly higher than similar products by 16 flavor substances, many of which are unique to Gangu peppers. These substances make Gangu peppers red and slightly sweet, and have stronger fat, fruity, and beeswax flower aromas. Therefore, Gangu peppers are unique in the seasoning industry and have been popular for a long time.

Image source: Gangu Media Center

Gangu peppers are thick and have a high oil content. The freshly made Gangu pepper powder is bright and colorful, and the pepper seeds contain a high amount of oil. Even if you put the freshly made pepper powder on paper, the paper will be quickly soaked with chili oil. This feature makes the oil-splashed chili made from Gangu peppers fragrant but not spicy, and is deeply loved by people.

Gangu pepper has a cultivation history of at least 400 years. In the "Fuqiang County Chronicle" (1627) compiled by Ye Yingjia in the Ming Dynasty, there is a record of Gangu pepper. It was once a tribute to the court in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties and was famous in Longshan. Gangu pepper was approved as a geographical indication product protection by the former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine in 2011, and was recognized as a geographical indication certification trademark of Gangu pepper by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce in 2014. In August 2022, "Gangu pepper" was selected as a national geographical indication product protection demonstration area.

In addition to spicy hot pot, Tianshui also has the world-famous Maijishan Grottoes

Image source: Photographed by the author

Therefore, Gangu pepper plays an important role in local delicacies such as Tianshui Malatang, not only providing a unique taste but also being an important embodiment of local culture.

In addition to Gangu County, there are several other famous pepper producing areas in China. These places produce high-quality peppers with unique flavors due to their unique climatic conditions and soil types. The following are some well-known pepper producing areas:

Jize County, Hebei Province

Jize County is known as the "hometown of Chinese peppers" and is famous for its medium-spicy "sheep horn peppers". This pepper is bright red, smooth, slender, with a hook on the tip, and shaped like a sheep's horn. Jize peppers have the characteristics of thin skin, thick flesh, high oil content, fragrant seeds, and moderate spiciness. Its capsaicin and vitamin C content ranks first among domestic pepper varieties, and it enjoys the reputation of "the king of vitamin C in vegetables".

Chengdu, Sichuan Province

Chengdu is a national production base for high-quality peppers, mainly the hot chili peppers. Chengdu peppers are famous for their high spiciness and strong aroma, and are a famous pepper. Zunyi's specialty, the shrimp chili peppers, are famous throughout the country for their small size, bright color, thick flesh, spicy taste, and strong aroma.

Qingzhou, Shandong Province (formerly Yidu)

Qingzhou peppers are famous for their purple-red color, bright gloss, thick flesh, moderate spiciness and strong aroma. Qingzhou peppers are not only popular in the domestic market, but also exported overseas.

Wangdu, Hebei Province

Wangdu County is a national production base for high-quality peppers, and is famous for its bright color, thick flesh, spicy taste, and strong fragrance. Wangdu peppers are also known as "Yangjiao peppers" because of their shape like sheep horns. They are characterized by being as thick as fingers, purple-red and shiny, thick and oily flesh, full and substantial seeds, and strong and fragrant spicy flavor.

The peppers from these origins not only have a high reputation in the domestic market, but also enjoy a high reputation in the international market. As an important part of Chinese food culture, peppers from these origins add a unique flavor to Chinese cuisine.