Why everyone is obsessed with Hathazari’s red chilli

Red chillies, Halda chillies, Sweet chillies! There are various names for the famous chilli of Hathazari from Chittagong. But how are chillies sweet again? Chillies that taste less spicy and have a sweet aroma – popularly known as sweet chillies – can be easily pickled and eaten raw or dry.

"This chilli is so red that it feels like the meat or vegetables cooked with it will taste like fire! But when you start eating it, this delusion disappears. Besides adding flavour, these chillies make cooked vegetables look nicer. The difference is in the smell, colour and flavour,"  said Kumro Taz, a young female entrepreneur who runs a business selling various items, including Hathajari chilli.

Over some 7,500 years ago, chillies were used in America, but the use of chillies started in the Indian subcontinent at the hands of the Portuguese. Over time, Bangalis have adopted it as their own. Chilli is a staple ingredient in every household in this subcontinent. 

According to any Bangali, chilli is the only food that can effortlessly elevate the taste of a dish from mediocre to stupendously good.

Harvest in the time of summer 

These chillies are typically planted in the months of Kartik and Agrahayan, and mature in the months of Baishakh and Jaishtha.

Where do so many chillies go? "These chillies are in great demand. When we bring them to the market, they are purchased in bulk by many people from various companies. This results in a quick sell-out of our chillies," replied Salim, a farmer of Hathajarari. 

They're delicious and you'll regret it if you don't try them in the season. Even when the season ends, the farmers can't keep them in stock for sale. 

Why is it called 'Halda Morich'?

For both young and old people, this red chilli of Hathazari is also known as 'Halda Morich.'

Farmers believe that this is produced in such large quantities because of the fertility of the soil on the banks of the Halda River, where it is cultivated. The soil, water and weather are among the primary factors that influence the sweetness of chillies.

Md Harun has been cultivating this chilli at the bank of this river for 40 years. "This soil is not like other soil. It has an equal mixture of sand and mud. No soil is too muddy or too sandy. It is because of the mixture of mud and sand that chillies grow in this soil," he explained.

Moreover, according to Harun, such chillies cannot be cultivated anywhere other than Hathazari, because this chillies plant cannot endure too much rain and heat.

Transcending generations 

For 55-year-old farmer Harun, cultivating red chillies is not just a profession. Even though he lost two fingers in an accident, he is still enthusiastically devoted to the cultivation process. 

"I love this job! It's not just about the money for me. If I don't work, I feel lost. This job gives me peace and I have a blast doing it," he added. 

Similarly, 60-year-old Selim has been cultivating these chillies for more than 40 years. His father, grandfather and even great-grandfather were chilli farmers. It seems as though Harun and Selim, despite four-decade-long work, are not tired of this work. Instead, they'll feel stressed if they take a break.

Red chillies and "Mezban" 

Mezbani-style cooking, with its vibrant colours and amazing flavours, is a unique delicacy of Bangladesh. But why does it taste so good? The secret is the use of this chilli.

"In every Mezban in this area, they use this chilli. For this season, I also kept some chilli powder to sell on those occasions. Many people buy four, five, eight or 10 kilos of chilli powder from me. That's how I sold about 80 kg of chilli powder [recently]," said chilli farmer Harun. 

The wonders of 'Red Chilli Pickle' 

To make pickles that taste amazing, these chillies are picked from the plants when they are a yellowish-green colour. Another characteristic of these chillies is that it is larger in size than any other chillies except capsicum. Due to its beautiful shape, these chilli pickles are also very tempting to look at.

Kumro Taz is determined to popularise pickles made from Halda Chilli among people of different parts of the country. When asked how she came up with the idea of making pickles, she said, "Many people think that chilli pickle means it will be very hot. But this chilli is completely different. Many people will not understand that it is really a pickle made of chilli and this red chilli pickle is so good that the taste will linger in your mouth long after you've finished eating it."

High demand, high price 

There's a lot of demand for this red chilli, which is generally priced higher than other chillies. They sell for Tk600-700 per kg.

Selim said, "The demand for these chillies is so high that many people who live abroad buy them. I have many such [overseas] customers. Even if it is expensive, they buy it because there is no other place in Bangladesh where they can buy such beautiful red and sweet chillies."

Apart from these sweet chillies, hot chilli from Cumilla is also sold in the market. The price of Cumilla chillies is low, and so is the demand. 

Chilli farmers sell their produce at the market, where they are able to obtain a fair price.

Selim said, "We grow our own chillies and bring them to the market to sell. That's what most farmers do. If someone buys chillies from us to resell them, they usually charge Tk10-20 more per kilogram. The price difference is usually not more than that."

Sweet chillies of Hathazari as a global brand?

These red sweet chillies are cultivated in many places on the banks of the Halda River, including Hathazari, Fatikchari and Raujan. However, the highest production of these chillies is in the Hathazari upazila.

Mohammad Hasan Mahmud, deputy assistant agricultural officer of the Directorate of Agricultural Extension of Hathajari Upazila, said that these chillies are cultivated on about 220 hectares of land and the total production of chillies is 330 metric tons.

According to Upazila Agriculture Officer and agriculturist Md Al Mamun Shikdar, chillies are not produced as they used to be. The quantity of water necessary for production is not available. Farmers face water shortages when the Halda River's water level decreases – and thus, he considers the water crisis a major issue.

An artificial canal was constructed to address this issue, bringing water from the Halda River closer to the chilli fields. The canal stores rainwater runoff from the hills and water from the Halda River. Shikdar said, "If the water supply increases, production will also increase. We are doing everything we can to solve this problem. We have taken various steps to support farmers, which include providing technical support, arranging training sessions, and appointing agricultural officers at the field level."

Shikdar also claims that they have taken all necessary steps to establish these sweet chillies of Hathazari as a global brand. With this objective in mind, he has also taken up plans to engage farmers in creating groups for farmers online. "No farmer has to come for any information. Farmers will be connected online and the information they need will be at their fingertips," he said.

Young entrepreneur Ranjan Bibek has also been working to establish these chillies as a popular brand worldwide through social media for a long time. "Whenever I get a chance, I introduce this chilli to people. To me, this chilli is like heritage and I will do whatever it takes to protect it," he concluded.