Almost all the cuisines in the world uses Chilly in some form or the other, it’s worth knowing that there are over 400 different varieties across the globe which has been making our food pungently flavorful. For most of the northeasterners chilly plays an important part in daily diet, mostly the food is bland with minimal spices usually boiled or steamed, hence, to give a kick to the palate Chillyes are used in enormous quantities. Almost each and every state in North East has its own fiery chilly, King Chillyes from Nagaland and Manipur, Bhut Jholokia from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and Bird’s Eye Chillyes from Meghalaya are among the most popular varieties from this region.

Bird’s Eye Chilli verity comes from Mizoram & some areas of Manipur, which has already made its name as one of the hottest Chillyes of the world. Bird’s Eye Chilly are small bullet shaped red Chillyes are extremely pungent and are primarily used for curries, pickles, soups, stir-fried dishes and salad Bird's Eye Chilly is also considered as an effective antiseptic agent.

Bhut Jolokia

Only one seed of Bhut Jolokia from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh can leave its sharpness for at least 30 minutes. Bhut Jolokia is known not only for its pungency, but also for its unique acidic flavour, that distinguishes this Chilly from others. It has also earned Guinness World Records’ recognition as the World’s Hottest Chilli Pepper in 2007.

Naga King Chilly is a close cousin of Bhut Jolokia found in Nagaland is the constantly on the 5^th hottest chilly in the world list. The Naga King Chilly also is one of the few Chillyes in world to have Certificate of Registration of Geographical Indication awarded in 2008

Cherry Peppers

The cherry pepper which is commonly called Dalle Khursani comes from Sikkim and Darjeeling is an essential ingredient of the pungent relishes which are a must in every Nepalese meal. Tart and round, these Chillyes ripen to a bright red and make for a pretty picture, however its pungency is very high and rates quite similar to the Shu of habanero Chillyes.

Hathei chilly from Ukhrul in Manipur though is not hot but full of flavor and color. There is a festival celebrated in Sirarakhong Village for promotion of this chilly. Maroi Nakupi is another one of the widely used Chilly that flavor local Manipuri dishes and is considered extremely beneficial for health working as a diuretic and brings a shine to hair.