Hot Chili

Flakes and crushed chili are cut pericarp (and sometimes seeds) with visible pieces; powder is a milled flour. Flakes belong in pizza, chili oil, sausage visibility and toppings. Powder belongs in sauces, marinades and dusting where a smooth particle is required. A flakes contract should state mesh or a size band (for example 8–12 mesh) and a seed content, not only “crushed red pepper.”

Those are Chinese cultivar styles, not generic heat grades. ATA FOOD lists Sichuan Erjingtiao fragrant chili flakes and Chaotian chili flakes in an 8–12 mesh pizza-grade cut. Erjingtiao is typically sourced for aroma in chili oil and Sichuan cooking; Chaotian styles are often hotter and used as a topping heat. If the cuisine depends on the cultivar, name it and approve a sample. If you only need a heat band, you may specify SHU and mesh instead.

Ask for a Scoville (SHU) band and whether it is HPLC-based. China Chili Biotech lists chili powder in HPLC heat windows such as 20,000–22,000 SHU. CiCi Foods flake listings include stated SHU figures on individual titles. Heat will vary by harvest; treat the listing as the intended window and require the lot result if your formula is tight.