I should mention something about Chinese chillis. Dried ones that are small are the hottest. Now, the deep red kind are not as hot as the orangey red variety. You will see both kinds on sale at street markets. For 5 RMB, you'll be able to buy about 100 of them, not sure exactly. Very hot eaten raw or boiled! With mutton hotpot, I'll eat 6 on average. And the 'Dachongqing' I mentioned in another post can be drunk without affecting your stomach. Unlike the spicy sauces used in hotpot restaurants.

There's another kind of chilli that I enjoy. It's dumpy and dark green, 1 -2 inches long, and from Hunan, so I'm told. It's matured in a kind of vinegar. Seriously hot, too. It's available in big street markets. Maybe for 5 RMB you can buy about 20, I can't say for sure. 0.5 of one will make your mouth VERY hot.

Avoid buying small bottles of chilli sauce. Expensive and ineffective, unlike the mustard oil, which is seriously hot!

The photo shows you the dried deep red Chinese chillis.