Facing Heaven

Classic Chinese Heat

Facing Heaven is a classic Chinese chilli best known for its upright, sky-pointing pods and its central role in northern Chinese cooking.

I grew it for the first time last season and found it to be a compact, hardworking plant that delivers dependable heat with very little fuss. It grew well outside and I even let the pods dry on the bush which they did beautifully.

The pods are small, conical and grow pointing upwards, ripening from green to a bright, glossy red. Heat sits firmly in the medium range — noticeable, direct and clean — making it ideal for everyday cooking rather than novelty heat. It’s a chilli that announces itself quickly and then steps aside.

One of the reasons Facing Heaven works so well in cooking is its thin walls. That allows the pods to dry quickly and to release flavour fast when fried in oil — a key reason it’s traditionally used whole in stir-fries, sauces and chilli oils rather than chopped or blended.

The plants are compact and tidy, making them well suited to pots, raised beds or tight greenhouse spaces. They crop reliably and evenly, producing a good number of pods over a long period.

Facing Heaven is an excellent choice for anyone who wants a traditional, no-nonsense chilli with real culinary pedigree — particularly for Asian cooking where clarity of heat matters as much as strength. Read more about this chilli in Chilli of the Week.