Kung Pao Hybrid

Kung Pao Hybrid is a modern Capsicum annuum chilli sold under a culinary-inspired trade name rather than a traditional regional name. It is consistently listed in seed catalogues as a hybrid developed for productivity, uniform fruit size and cooking performance, likely bred for the United States commercial and home-garden market.

Plants typically reach about 60–75 centimetres in height. Pods are pendant and slender, usually around 10–12.5 centimetres long and 9–13 millimetres wide, ripening from green to bright red. Harvest is commonly described as midseason, around 70–80 days after transplanting, and plants are noted for heavy, prolific fruit production.

Heat is generally described as hot, without lab-tested data. Seller descriptions place it above mild cayenne types but below very hot bird-type chillies. Reported estimates tend to cluster between about 20,000 and 30,000 SHU, so a single-value estimate of 25000 SHU is used here.

Kung Pao Hybrid is marketed for stir-fries, pickling and hot sauces, reflecting its slender shape, bright ripe colour and moderate to high heat. The name references Kung Pao-style dishes as a marketing choice and does not indicate historical or regional use in traditional Chinese cuisine.

No breeder name, release year or documented breeding location has been clearly published, and the variety should be treated as a modern hybrid rather than a landrace or heirloom.