ChilliFacts

Chilli in India: from Portuguese ships to 40% of the world’s dried chillies

Portuguese traders brought chillies to Goa and their other Asian ports in the 16th century, but the exact date is not recorded. India now produces about 40% of the world’s dried chillies, more than any other country, though China grows more green chillies. India’s bhut jolokia was recognised by Guinness as the world’s hottest chilli in 2007 and later passed Indian defence trials as a filler for non-lethal grenades.

Checked October 20, 2026 · How we source facts

Timeline

  1. 16th century (date unrecorded)

    The Portuguese introduce chillies to Goa and other Asian trading posts, after first carrying them to Africa and Arabia. [1]

  2. c. 1542 (contested)

    JSTOR Daily gives "around 1542" for Portuguese ships bringing chillies to India, but cites no primary record, and other historians doubt such early dates. [2]

  3. 2007

    Bhut jolokia (ghost pepper) from Northeast India is recognised by Guinness World Records as the hottest chilli, after New Mexico State University tests measured about 1,000,000 SHU. [3]

  4. 2010

    Indian defence officials say bhut jolokia 'chili grenades' passed DRDO trials as a non-toxic crowd-control weapon. [4]

  5. 2021

    FAOSTAT data cited by Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University puts India at about 42-43% of world (dry) chilli production, ahead of Bangladesh, Thailand, China and Ethiopia. [5]

  6. 2023

    ICAR's Indian Horticulture calls India 'the largest producer of dry chilli in the world', with about 2.05 million tonnes and roughly 40% of world output. [6]

Customs and words

  • Nimbu-mirchi: a string of a lemon and green chillies hung at doors, on new cars, shops and trucks to ward off nazar (the evil eye), with Saturday as the usual day to replace it. [7]
  • Removing nazar: chillies with salt, or lemons with chillies, are waved around a person's body to lift the evil eye. [7]
  • Exports: dry chilli makes up about 31% of India's total spice exports (2023). [6]

Peppers on ChilliFacts

Questions

When did chillies come to India?

Portuguese traders brought them in the 16th century, but the exact date is not recorded.

Is India the largest chilli producer?

For dried chillies, yes: about 40% of world output (ICAR, 2023). China grows more green chillies.

More chilli history

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Portuguese introduced chillies to Africa and Arabia, then Goa, Sri Lanka and Malacca; details unrecorded. FAOSTAT 2024 green chillies: China 39%, India 12% (secondary source)
  2. JSTOR Daily (Hallie Pugh-Sellers, 2022): Portuguese ships introduced chilies to India around 1542; India top producer of dried chilies (secondary source)
  3. ScienceDaily, reprinting American Society for Horticultural Science release, Oct 2007: Bhut Jolokia earns Guinness recognition; ~1,000,000 SHU vs Red Savina 577,000 (secondary source)
  4. Associated Press via NBC News, 23 March 2010: Indian military to use bhut jolokia in tear-gas-like grenades after DRDO trials (secondary source)
  5. Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Chilli Outlook Report 2022 (data: FAOSTAT 2021): India 1.98-2.05 Mt, ~42-43% of world chilli production in 2021; ranking of other producers (secondary source)
  6. Indian Horticulture 68(2), 2023, ICAR (Madhavi Reddy K & Naresh Ponnam, ICAR-IIHR): India largest producer of dry chilli; ~2,049,213 t; ~40% of world; 31% of spice exports (secondary source)
  7. USC Digital Folklore Archives (interview with a Mumbai informant, 2021): Nimbu-mirchi lemon-chilli string against nazar; Saturday custom; chilli-and-salt nazar removal