The Khola Chilli, also referred to as Canacona Chilli and Kholchi Mirchi, is harvested on the sloping hills of Khola village in the Canacona taluka region of Goa, where the local soil and climate play a beneficial role in preserving the growth and quality of this chilli. Chilies are renowned for their flavour and colour. This well-known chilli, which can only be grown in conditions of rain, is distinguished by its distinctive blazing red colour and flavour.
Red chilli sauce, chilli pickles, raw mango pickles, khola chilli powder, and khola chilli flakes are all prepared using khola chilli. These red and green chillies are cultivated with a great deal of effort by farmers from Khola and other areas of Goa. Since it repels pests, chilli powder can be kept for a long time. When chilli powder is added to food recipes, the meal acquires a pleasing red hue. The spicy curry from Goa is well-known throughout the world for its beneficial qualities that help people forget how much they've eaten. The chiles used to make the curry masala are what give it its flavour and capacity to pique appetites.
Chilies were introduced to Goa by the Portuguese some time in the 1500s, historians claim. As time went on, chilies began to be classed according to their use, pungency, colour, etc. and given names based on the region where they were grown. Locals claim that this particular variety of chilli, which is used to make the mouthwatering Goan papads, was first produced by their forefathers. It is generally accepted that this village has been growing chillies for at least 120 to 150 years, if not longer.
The growers of Canacona chillies adhere to the ancient organic techniques used by their forefathers. Both the stony plains of the village and the mountainside slopes are good places for this chilli to flourish. Its distinctive brilliant red colour, pungency, and taste are caused by the village's proximity to the Arabian Sea, well-drained loamy soil rich in iron, manganese, copper, and nutrients, low temperatures and high humidity that prevail in the month of July, and hot and humid weather conditions in the month of October.
The collected chiles are cleaned, laid out in a thin layer, and dried in the sun. They can then be prepared for storage, packaging, or market sale. The popular recheado masala, green chilli pickle, raw mango pickle, red chilli sauce, Goan papads, Khola chilli powder, and Khola chilli flakes are typical value-added goods made by women farmers.
The principal source of income is chilli, which is actively grown by the entire village community. An estimated 0.5 to 1.1 tons of dry chillies are produced per hectare on average. The growers are highly interested in maintaining the traditional methods of growing this chili in order to maintain its flavour, colour, and pungency.
This chilli, which has a pleasing red colour and a somewhat pungent flavour, is frequently used to make regional specialties. Its thick, smooth outer layer extends its shelf life and lessens breaking. Khola chillies are between 1.2 and 1.4 cm in diameter and between 5.6 and 7.4 cm in length. Due to the high concentration of the pigment Capsanthin, which gives this native chilli its vibrant red colour, it is used to colour edible or food-grade red. Besides imparting flavor and colour to dishes , magnesium, manganese, and potassium are abundant in khola chilli.