Reddit mentions: The best chili powders
We found 54 Reddit comments discussing the best chili powders. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 29 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.
1. Carolina Reaper Chili Pepper Powder Wicked Tickle Wicked Reaper World's Hottest Chili Pepper
- Carolina Reaper Chili Powder 2 oz
- World's Hottest Chili Pepper Powder
- World's Hottest Spice Extreme Heat
- Wicked Tickle Reaper Chili Pepper Powder
- Over 2,000,000 Scoville Heat Units
Features:
Specs:
Color | Red |
Height | 4 Inches |
Length | 1.75 Inches |
Weight | 0.09375 Pounds |
Width | 1.75 Inches |
Size | 2 Ounce (Pack of 1) |
Number of items | 1 |
2. Thai whole dried chile - 3.5 oz
- Package contains 3.5-ounces of Thai whole dried chile
- Are integral to Thai cooking
- Pound in a mortar and pestle to make homemade curry paste or dry roast whole for garnish
Features:
Specs:
Color | Thai Whole Dried Chile - 3.5 Oz |
Height | 1.6 Inches |
Length | 10 Inches |
Weight | 0.21875 Pounds |
Width | 5.8 Inches |
Size | 3.5 Ounce (Pack of 1) |
Number of items | 1 |
3. Rani Extra Hot Chilli Powder Indian Spice 16oz (454g) ~ All Natural, No Color added, Gluten Free Ingredients | Vegan | NON-GMO | No Salt or fillers
- You'll LOVE our Extra Hot Chilli Ground by Rani Brand--Here's Why:
- 🌶️100% Natural, No preservatives, Non-GMO, Gluten Friendly, PREMIUM Gourmet Food Grade Spice.
- 🌶️60,000-65,000 SHU (Scoville Units), Hot! Hot! Hot! This measures the heat of our chilli, to compare, cayenne is 30,000 SHU.
- 🌶️Packed in a no barrier Plastic Jar, let us tell you how important that is when using high quality Indian Spices! Rani is a USA based company selling spices for over 40 years, buy with confidence!
- 🌶️Pure! NO FILLERS in any Rani Brand Spices (fillers are commonly used in spices to make them free flowing or lessen the costs of production) usually sodium or like product. Net Wt. 16oz (1lb) 454g, Authentic Indian Product, Alternative Name: (Indian) Hot Mirchi Ground
Features:
Specs:
Weight | 1 Pounds |
4. Volcanic Peppers Bhut Jolokia Ghost Powder 0.75 Oz
- Ghost pepper Dust
- Very Hot
- Spice Jar with Sifter
- Use in Baking too
- Bhut Jolokia
Features:
Specs:
Height | 2 Inches |
Length | 2 Inches |
Weight | 0.046875 Pounds |
Width | 2 Inches |
Size | 0.75 Ounce (Pack of 1) |
5. Piment d'Espelette - Red Chili Pepper Powder from France 1.41oz
- Imported straight from France
- Espelette pepper (Piment d'Espelette in French)
- Variety of pepper that is cultivated in the French commune of Espelette, PyrnesAtlantiques
- In 2000, it was classified as a AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlee, meaning the name is protected)
Features:
Specs:
Height | 2.9 Inches |
Length | 3.9 Inches |
Weight | 0.15 Pounds |
Width | 3.2 Inches |
Size | 1.41 Ounce (Pack of 1) |
Number of items | 1 |
6. Yours Kitchen Organic Dried Thai Chili (Chifa Red Chili) From My Farm (3.5 Ounce)
Good for Thai Cuisine Etc. Tom Yum Goong, Somtum, Curry and More.Dried by Sunlight, 100% Organic.Organic Dried Chifa red Chili = 16,050 SHU.Packed in vacuum bags.Organic Dried Chilli by X-SAMPA Organic Farm
Specs:
Size | 3.5 Ounce |
7. 12oz Trade Winds New Mexico Chili Pepper, Pack of 1
Flavor essentials for the kitchen.A collection of the finest spices and blended seasonings gathered from around the world. All are carefully selected, using only the highest quality ingredients.Great for cooking, marinate, rub, seasoning!Pack of 1
8. Swad Extra Hot Chilli Powder - 200 Grams
Extra Hot Chili PowderCommonly used in Indian, Mexican, North African, Middle Eastern cuisines7 oz packProduct of India
Specs:
Size | 7 Ounce (Pack of 1) |
Number of items | 1 |
9. Pasilla Chili Powder 4 oz Ground Chile For Mole Sauce, Taco Seasoning, Tamales, Salsa, Chili, Meats, Soups, Stews by Ole Rico
- AUTHENTIC FROM MEXICO - Essential for authentic Mexican Cuisine 100% Natural from Mexico
- MILD TO MEDIUM HEAT - Pasilla Chile Powder has mild heat with sweet-savory flavor great for enchiladas, salsas, mole and sauces.
- PASILLA POWDER is made with 100% pure ground dried Pasilla peppers. Natural seasoning great for mexican recipes.
- Our recipe includes NO preservatives, additives, or chemicals to ensure real freshness.
- RESEALABLE BAG - Restaurant Quality packaging for keeping chile powder fresh.
Features:
Specs:
Height | 0.5 Inches |
Length | 8 Inches |
Weight | 0.25 pounds |
Width | 5 Inches |
Size | 4 Ounce (Pack of 1) |
Number of items | 1 |
10. Chile De Arbol Powder Mix 4 oz With Red Chili Peppers Bulk All Natural No Salt Added Great For Mexican Recipes by Ole Rico
- AUTHENTIC FROM MEXICO - Essential for authentic Mexican Cuisine 100% Natural from Mexico
- HOT HEAT - Chile de Arbol Powder has hot heat with a spicy flavor, unlike any other chile. Great for making dishes that combine the sweet and spicy, best of both worlds.
- ARBOL POWDER is made with 100% pure ground dried Chile de Arbol peppers. Natural seasoning great for mexican recipes.
- Our recipe includes NO preservatives, additives, or chemicals to ensure real freshness.
- RESEALABLE BAG - Restaurant Quality packaging for keeping chile powder fresh.
Features:
Specs:
Height | 0.5 Inches |
Length | 8 Inches |
Weight | 0.25 Pounds |
Width | 5 Inches |
Size | 4 Ounce (Pack of 1) |
Number of items | 1 |
11. Uncle Jay's Farm Ghost Pepper Pods, Powder and Flakes (Pods)
Specs:
Height | 9.5 Inches |
Length | 6 Inches |
Width | 1 Inches |
Size | 2 Ounce (Pack of 1) |
12. Volcanic Peppers, Pepper Volcano Dust 3, 0.75 Ounce
- Super Hot Pepper Moruga Scorpion
- Smoked Bhut Jolokia mixed with 7 Pot, Moruga and Trinidad Scorpion Pepper
- 7 Pot Jonah
- Comes in a spice jar with sifter - 3/4 oz
- Butch T. Trinidad Scorpion
Features:
Specs:
Height | 2 Inches |
Length | 2 Inches |
Width | 2 Inches |
Size | 0.75 Ounces |
13. Dried Morita Peppers (Chile Morita) //Chipotle// Weights: 4 Oz, 8 Oz, 12 Oz, 1 Lb!! (12 OZ)
- A Morita chile it's a smoked jalapeño, much like a chipotle but smaller and fierier.
- Dried and crushed Morita chiles are ideal for use in soups, stews, beans, chilis, or other recipes that simmer a long while on a low heat.
- Morita Chile is also sometimes called "Chipotle Colorado," "Mora Chile," and "Black Dash red chile."
- Just a little sprinkle of Morita Chile brings a kick to vegetables, meats, and sauces. The fruity undertones of Moritas are delicious with tomato or pork dishes. Add to chili, sauces, and moles.
- This jalapeño is left on the vine long enough that will eventually turn red.
Features:
Specs:
Weight | 0.75 Pounds |
Size | 12 Ounce (Pack of 1) |
14. Nanami Togarashi, Japanese Mixed Chili Pepper, 0.52 oz
- Order more than one item and save on shipping.
Features:
Specs:
Weight | 0.0325 Pounds |
15. The Spice Hunter Chili Powder Blend, 1.1-Ounce Jar
- Chili Spice Powder | Salt Free Blend | Natural | Kosher Certified
- Our chili powder starts with high-quality ripe chili peppers and spicy red peppers, toasted and ground to a fine powder. Pungent garlic and onion; warm, earthy cumin; and bold, gutsy oregano bump up the flavor profile and balance the heat of the peppers. But it’s the addition of cocoa powder, cinnamon and cloves that make this blend truly special
- Home chefs with a sweet tooth should try adding a teaspoon to their next batch of brownies. Chili Powder adds a spicy sweetness that blends perfectly with the rich chocolate and creates a whole new depth of flavor
- A world of flavor awaits. Let the culinary adventure begin
- Crafted by The Spice Hunter
Features:
Specs:
Height | 1 Inches |
Length | 1 Inches |
Weight | 0.06875 Pounds |
Width | 1 Inches |
Size | 1.1 Ounce (Pack of 1) |
Number of items | 1 |
16. Klass Chili Powder Seasoning / Chilito Sazonador En Polvo 5 Oz (142g) Container (2)pack
Specs:
Weight | 0.31305641204 Pounds |
Size | 5.0 Ounce (Pack of 2) |
17. Eastern Kashmiri Chilly Powder 100g/3.5oz 100% Natural
- Low on heat and high in colour, this mesmerising chilly species is now a sought after ingredient.
- Used in combination with other pungent chilly powders in pickles and other delicacies.
- Aromatic products, 100% natural products which are devoid of artificial preservatives and colours
- An authentic sequential process of blending, which is akin to home processing and
- The use of only the best quality raw materials and other ingredients to create the products.
Features:
Specs:
Height | 4.330708657 Inches |
Length | 6.299212592 Inches |
Weight | 0.220462262 Pounds |
Width | 0.787401574 Inches |
Size | 3.52 Ounce (Pack of 1) |
Number of items | 1 |
18. Korean Red Hot Chili Pepper Flakes Powder, Sun Dried 7oz Shaker
- Affordable choice for budget conscious buyers
- Coarse Pepper Powder, Bright red color
- Easy to use 7 oz(200g) Shaker!
- Good for all types of kimchi, spicy soups, stew and stir-fry
- Product of P.R.O.C.
Features:
Specs:
Size | 7.05 Ounce (Pack of 1) |
19. 7 Pepper Spice Mix (Nanami / Schichimi Togarashi) - 1 bag, 10.58 oz
Product Size: 1 bag - 10.58 ozCheese, Foie Gras, Truffles, Wagyu Steaks, Baking Products, Spices, Oils, Balsamic Vinegars and more
Specs:
Height | 10.0393700685 Inches |
Length | 15.6299212439 Inches |
Weight | 0.661386786 Pounds |
Width | 12.992125971 Inches |
Size | 10.58 Ounce (Pack of 1) |
Number of items | 1 |
20. Habanero Chile Powder, 16 Ounce Jar
- Pack of 16 ounces
- Habanero Chiles are very, very hot (Use them sparingly)
- Great in Tortilla soup and other Mexican recipes
Features:
Specs:
Weight | 1 Pounds |
Size | 16.0 Ounce (Pack of 1) |
Number of items | 1 |
🎓 Reddit experts on chili powders
The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where chili powders are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
Some are saying to use store bought, which is fine. American versions are quite different than Thai versions though. I believe homemade to be the best, personal opinion, because you can adjust things easily and control salt. Plus the aroma is fresh and leave my house smelling like my friends' houses LOL
Below are the hard to find ingredients used in every authentic curry paste video I've come across. If you can't get things locally but use Amazon and are willing to spend a little more than at a local spot, you can find exactly what you need to make good curry paste.
None of these are end all be all brands/sellers, just ones I use regularly or have used. Look for lower prices as needed! Just guiding you on some common hard to find items & substitutes if you don't have a fully stocked Asian grocer nearby.
Dried galangal can be rehydrated and works just as well as fresh. Fresh is best, of course, but is hard to find. Ginger is not a replacement for this not even close. I made a curry paste with ginger once then with galangal...no. Heard you can also use galangal powder, but have never tried that.
Shrimp paste, keeps for a long time in the fridge. If you're not familiar with this stuff...it's gonna smell. (Am I strange for liking it though?) It smells like something you don't want to add in but it does not make adverse flavors in curries, it enhances them and the smell goes away once combined in the paste.
Lemongrass can be found at some commercial stores occasionally. I think you said you can get some locally though.
Prik chi fah (or spur chilis, not as spicy as the next pepper below) hardest to come by but you can use dried guajillo peppers (Spanish pepper) in its place.
Prik kee noo (Thai chilis, very spicy) you can use dried Szechuan peppers or arabol chilies (Spanish pepper). Arabols are a bit less spicy than Thai chilies but the flavor is comparable. The exception here is if you're making green curry, you really need fresh green Thai chilis, not sure jalapeños would work as a replacement, the flavor is too different to me.
Kaffir lime leaves Not for the paste but used to make some of the actual curries, in other dishes, or as edible garnish. The two ounce package is plenty and they freeze very well. Very aromatic and fresh scent, adds something nice to the curry. Can't live without it now.
Sounds like you can get fish sauce, but the depth of flavor really depends on the brand. I use squid fish sauce for curries personally. The flavor is nice and smooth but not overpowering. Tiparos is another brand of fish sauce I use for things like larb, stir fry, & Thai omelettes because it's much stronger in my opinion to the other two, too strong for a curry to me. Darker fish sauce, in my experience tend to be stronger than lighter colored ones.
Cilantro roots are just impossible to find in smaller markets or online from my searches. Cilantro stems work just fine! (If you watch the videos I shared below, she mentions this often. Here to confirm it works perfectly.) I double the amount of stems for roots in recipes though.
Cumin seeds, white pepper, coriander seeds can be found easily online and often in mainstream stores. Palm sugar isn't always necessary if you can't find it, I hate the process of breaking it apart!
I use Pai's recipes all the time, she runs Hot Thai Kitchen on Youtube. Her recipes for curries have all been fantastic, just remember to season properly with fish sauce. If you love Thai food definitely watch her videos I've never had a failure and they taste perfect to what my friends' families cook.
Here are her curry paste recipes, and I've tried every single one several times. Videos using the pastes should appear in the more videos sections:
red curry
green curry
yellow curry
Massaman
Panang
She just did a video about coconut milk if you need help with that. I use the Arroy-D in the can, she said she's never got it to separate but I have so I have no issues with it.
If you have questions, let me know!
Oh, and eat your Thai-style curry with Jasmine rice if you aren't, the aroma of it really enhances everything!
I have never been able to find them, despite looking frequently. I'm pretty sure I have tried Whole Foods, Market Basket, and Wegmans. I have also tried a number of Asian specialty markets and haven't found them there either. For what it's worth, I am not Thai or of Southeast Asian descent, so I wouldn't really be able to recognize these chilies solely by their appearance and definitely not if they were not labeled as spur chilies. To further complicate matters, I have seen the Thai name for them vary significantly. I believe they're referred to as "prik chee fa" chilis, which may help you in your search, but I'm not positive.
I do know that you do not want to use the typical bird/Thai chilies you can find fresh in the grocery store, though. Those are a lot smaller and a lot hotter than spur chilies.
The woman whose recipes I use for Thai food says that you can use guajillo peppers if you can't find spur chilies. She also has the following note on her curry paste recipe.
>Large dried chilies are mild, while the small ones are spicy, so you can control the curry paste’s spiciness by adding more or less of the small ones. If you can only find the small ones, make sure you remove all the seeds, and use about 7 for medium spiciness and up to 15 if you want to get some sweat going! In this video, I only had small ones, used about 13 chilies and yes, it was quite spicy!
Here's the recipe, in case it's helpful! Maybe you could try a Hispanic market and ask them to help you find a medium sized mild chili?
I eventually gave up and bought them on Amazon. Here are the ones I bought. It seems like the farm that grows them sells them directly on Amazon, which is nice. That said, it did take a little over a month for them to arrive. It made a tasty chili jam, though!
My secret ingredient for the best guacamole ever is: Add a shot of good tequila. You shouldn't taste it exactly but it will give the whole thing a bit of "oomph" that you can't put your finger on...but will be awesome.
Otherwise, the recipe I always do is:
3 ripe avocados. Put flesh in bowl and mash but leave a bit chunky. Be sure to scrape the skins well, the green stuff closest to the skin has the most nutrients
About 1-2 tbs olive oil, depending on how big your avocados are
Juice of 1/2 lime
Big pinch salt, ground pepper. I like to add a big pinch of chili powder - I like Tradewinds as it has a lot of flavor but no heat; I can add heat through fresh chilies or powdered cayenne or Da Bomb hot sauce
1-2 tsp of minced garlic, depending on your taste
Mix these above ingredients until incorporated. Then add:
Diced tomatoes and white or yellow onions, about a cup of the two combined
Fresh cilantro minced to taste
It's better if you let it sit for an hour before serving, but no more or it will turn brown (because of the avocados - it's fine to eat, but it won't look pretty).
Hi there! For my spicy cravings, I like spiced chickpeas. I roast chick peas (canned) in the oven after coating the peas with olive oil, lime juice, salt, and very hot red chili powder. I use Swad brand red chili powder, which you can find at most Indo-Pak grocery stores. If you have not used this kind of red chili pepper before, it's best to go easy and add later. After they cool (and crisp up) I keep them in Tupperware or Pyrex to keep them crispy. As a bonus, these are delicious in salads, as well.
EDIT: If you don't have an Indo-Pak grocery nearby, you can also find the chili pepper on Amazon.
There is something you can do to really change the flavor up a bit: try using other types of chili powders. Specifically, I like Ancho, Pasilla Bahio and Guajilla peppers. They have a very full and unique smoky flavor. None of them are very hot; they usually have a mild warmth. If you want more heat maybe try Arbols.
I didn't realize it before, but Guajillas are what makes enchilada sauce taste like enchilada sauce.
Discovering these, both in whole form and as a powder, completely changed cooking Mexican food for me. From making sauces, moles, chili and just making taco meat/seasoning, these peppers have been a huge game-changer for me. This brand of chili is very nice quality; I was really impressed.
I usually buy these in bulk when TJs carries them, but I guess I used more than I thought I would and ran out while they weren't being stocked. These grinders are actually pretty good, so I just bought a bag of dried ghost chilis and refilled my grinder with those.
I think most spice-heads can probably agree, the Ghosts in the TJ grinder are not very spicy. When I put the dried chilis into the grinder, holy crap - the spice factor was definitely kicked up. Also, I'm not a huge fan of the smokiness of the TJs, so the dried chilis also helped bypass that issue - instead you just got the nice fruitiness of the Ghosts.
I still pick up a few grinders when I see them because they're great bang-for-the-buck, but I'm going to also keep one perma-stocked with the plain dried ghosts.
Initially I used Crayola white air-dried clay with coconut coir mixed to a sticky consistency. For me, this required adding too much water to actually get the clay to mix so it had to set about three days to dry and become less sticky and more form-able. Then I added a little more clay to get something that holds together. I would recommend adding too little clay and gradually work up to minimize the clay. These seeds were primarily collected locally on sandy soils, so I don't think they are really clay-adapted. I would guess it was about 1:2.5 or 1:3 clay:coir. I wanted a soilless mix to make sure no weed seeds piggy backed on the mix.
The second mix I have been playing with (not pictured) is coir and amaco terracotta:
https://www.amazon.com/AMACO-Moist-Terra-Cotta-Earthenware/dp/B0044SET3S/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=terracotta+clay+amaco&qid=1571232106&sr=8-1
I used the same process to make the mix, but I needed way less clay it held together much better. I also added about 2% bonemeal and 1% hot chili powder to stop animals eating seeds:
https://www.amazon.com/Rani-Indian-Natural-Ingredients-NON-GMO/dp/B00307EMRC/ref=sr_1_43?crid=10YQX29F7L65K&keywords=chili+powder&qid=1571232218&sprefix=chili%2Caps%2C329&sr=8-43
​
Once you have the mix, I pulled a chunk of clay about the right size (tried to get 2-4 times the diameter of the seed) flattened, put the seed in, and rounded up. For rarer seeds, I did single seeds per ball. More plentiful seeds and species with poor germination got doubled or tripled up. For ultra tiny seeds, I just kneaded them into a lump to get evenly dispersed and made smaller balls from that, e.g. rattlesnake master, leadplant. For everything posted, I dried them about three days to harden them up and scattered them! For a few odd-balls like Great Solomon's Seal (not pictured), the ball was not dried completely since the seeds cannot survive being dried. Scattered while still slightly damp.
Have fun!
Personally I buy this and put it in a smaller shaker and carry it with me everywhere. If something isn't hot enough, I take it out and add a few shakes.
It isn't as spicy as some of the super sauces or anything, but it doesn't dominate the flavor, doesn't need to be refrigerated, doesn't really go bad, and is easy to transport around. And it is still pretty warm.
I bought the combo 4 pack and was really happy with them. My favorite out of all of them is the Volcano Dust 3, which has ghost pepper, 7-pot, and scorpion pepper. Black Skull has a rich smoky flavor and is pretty cheap for the amount compared to the others.
A few of my favorites:
Hell, while you are at it, get him a spice grinder if he doesn't already make his own Garam Masala - one of those small differences that are completely worth the extra steps, especially if you toast the spices beforehand.
I love this stuff http://www.amazon.com/Bhut-Jolokia-Ghost-Powder-Very/dp/B004C9PTCE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394679253&sr=8-1&keywords=ghost+pepper+powder . I carry it with me and use it almost daily. It adds a good level of heat and complexity. It seems to pair best with Mexican food, chili and BBQ.
Agree with using reaper powder, but this is way more for your money. Amazon lists it as 1.5 oz but it’s actually two and is very hot and very versatile. Just be careful, it is super fine (do not try to smell it).
I haven't tried it nor do I know where to find it but I do have some experience with spicy rubs. I smoke a lot of meats so I am always making rubs. I generally find a rub recipe I like and add some carolina reaper powder to taste. It leaves it pretty flexible and bottle of the reaper powder will make a shitload of rub. I believe [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Carolina-Reaper-Pepper-Wicked-Hottest/dp/B00U5G7IN6/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1482996427&sr=8-4&keywords=carolina+reaper+powder) is the stuff I have been using (not home so I can't verify).
The only place I know to get it is Amazon. I think the best deal there is for about $11 you can get a 2 oz shaker:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U5G7IN6/
They've shipped promptly each time I've ordered it, so delivery was pretty quick.
It's a type of pepper https://www.amazon.com/Dried-Morita-Peppers-Chipotle-Weights/dp/B00NF1P47U
Good flavour 👌
For salad, I like:
1tbsp Mayo
1tsp Wholegrain mustard
1tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Honey
For something with a chinese twist:
2tbsp dark soy sauce
1tsp wasabi
1/2 tsp Nanami Togarashi (This stuff is amazeballs)
1tsp Sushi Vinegar (or anything a little sharp, lemon juice, etc)
1tbsp Sesame Oil
1tsp crushed/finely chopped garlic
1tsp finely chopped ginger
For really simple salads I'll just use balsamic vinegar and olive oil. You can't really go wrong here. Also, mushrooms make a great "crouton" in that they soak up dressings like crazy, so you don't get lots of dressing left over in the bottom of the bowl. Everyone uses croutons for this, right?
Right?
lol. I had to check my JoC book. Ah yes, Chili Con Carne on page 490.
In the USA, "chili powder" refers to a dried, jarred herb and spice blend such as this, containing a mix like oregano, cumin, chile pepper, etc.
Indian chili powder, more like cayenne. Something like this: Rani Extra Hot Chilli Powder Indian Spice 16oz (454g) ~ All Natural, No Color added, Gluten Free Ingredients | Vegan | NON-GMO | No Salt or fillers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00307EMRC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ehFZDbAP4C4V8
Maybe it's an acquired taste or maybe it's a regional thing, but an actual mango 'peppered' (get it?) with chili powders is very common. See these products that are made specifically for putting on fruit and stuff, here and here. Vero mango is the candy version of the real thing. I order these things buy the bag. Believe me it's amazing. Gf from Central America turned me on to this stuff.
Piment d'Espelette is fancy chili powder. My guess is that you could substitute a normal chili powder and not lose all that much. Make sure you taste throughout, though. The stuff they were going to send you was probably of a specific strength.
I have some of this and it is spectacular. Makes all salsa better. Thanks for the heads up on this.
If maybe he'd like the powdered version as well, I'd try Wicked Reaper.
Serious heat, and I feel like it will last me all year. Two light sprinkles to a full bowl of food and you're all set for the heat.
You can order kashmiri chili powder pretty easily. This is where I got mine. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M2C4FOG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
There's a big difference in the aromatics compared to just standard chili flakes. It is hot, sweet, smoky, and a distinct in it's aroma.
Commonly I follow through on a recipe as closely as I can. I then change out one ingredient or two at a time based on experience to test around with things. But I like having the most accurate representation.
Here's the brand I use at home personally.
http://www.amazon.com/Korean-Pepper-Flakes-Gochugaru-Farm/dp/B01BRPE3SQ/ref=sr_1_6_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1463412060&sr=8-6&keywords=korean+red+pepper
Same here i've been using this on about everything I eat, it's awesome.
Here's a cheap and quite large bag of nanami togarashi on Amazon. (Put it in an airtight container for better shelf life once you've opened it.
Most likely you are talking about dried thai chilis. http://www.amazon.com/Thai-whole-dried-chile-3-5/dp/B000EWMJ8U
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird%27s_eye_chili
You can use fresh as well. Thai chilis range from 100k to 225k scoville. Not quite as hot as a habanero. Substantially hotter than most jalapenos.
This is my favorite, but I don't find it spicy enough. So I add some frozen corn, a soft boiled egg, a few dashes of ground carolina reaper
and top with some nori.
Amazon, actually
Ya I saw this as well, it's 1,000,000 scoville. I am going to buy this and give it a shot! Considering I am using a small amount for 1 chocolate bullet, this should last a while. Assuming it works!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005N06LIM/ref=pd_aw_sims_2?pi=SL500_SY115&simLd=1
I sprinkle this on my dishes. Not much flavor, but HOT
http://www.amazon.com/Bhut-Jolokia-Ghost-Powder-Very/dp/B004C9PTCE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425330412&sr=8-1&keywords=hot+powder
it's a seasoning blend similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Pepper-Spice-Nanami-Schichimi-Togarashi/dp/B004Y18GJ8/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_325_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=RZA2DPB35X1YWR043PXH&th=1
Where do you live that pepper spray is illegal?
Instead of pepper spray you could just throw a handful of this into their face or into their car. Just make sure you are upwind.