Naga Jolokia pepper
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 Fresh Naga Jolokia Peppers (whole and cut)
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| Capsicum chinense 'Naga Jolokia' |
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| Heat : Peak (SR: 1,041,427) |
The Naga Jolokia pepper is a chili pepper found naturally in the army garrison town of Tezpur, in the north-eastern state of Assam, India. More generally, it can be found in the whole of NE India: Assam, Nagaland, Manipur as well as the adjacent Bangladesh. It is a naturally occurring chili and is reputed to be the hottest in the world. There is some disagreement on whether it is a Capsicum frutescens or a Capsicum chinense. The Indians claim it is a C. frutescens,[1] but the derived cultivar Dorset Naga was assessed as a C. chinense.
It is also called Bih Jolokia in some places of Assam (Bih = Poison, Jolokia = chilli pepper; in Assamese). Other names are Bhut jolokia, Borbih jolokia, Nagahari, Nagajolokia, Naga Morich, Naga Moresh and Raja mirchi.
When ripe it measures 60mm - 85mm long and 25mm - 30mm wide with an orange or red color, similar in appearance to the Habanero pepper, but with a characteristically rough or knobbly skin.
[edit] Scoville rating
In 2000, scientists at India's Defence Research Laboratory (DRL) reported a rating of 855,000 units on the Scoville scale,[1][2] and in 2004 an Indian export company called Frontal Agritech obtained a rating of 1,041,427 units,[3] which would mean it is almost twice as hot as the Red Savina pepper and roughly equal to the similar-looking Dorset Naga,[4] which is derived from the Naga Jolokia. For comparison, pure capsaicin rates at 15,000,000–16,000,000 Scoville units.
The effect of climate on the Scoville rating of Naga Jolokia peppers is dramatic. A 2005 Indian study that compared the percentage availability of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in Naga Jolokia peppers grown in both Tezpur (Assam) and Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) showed that the heat of the pepper is decreased by over 50% in Gwalior's climate (similar temperatures but less humid, much lower rainfall).[5]
[edit] Some morphological characteristics
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[edit] References
- ^ a b Mathur R, et al (2000). "The hottest chilli variety in India". Current Science 79 (3).
- ^ Indian Defence Research Laboratory (html) (2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-12.
- ^ Scoville rating was obtained through HPLC analysis, unpublished claim. Bih jolokia (html) (2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-12.
- ^ Dorset Naga was developed as a hybrid of Naga Morich (another name for Naga Jolokia) by a couple in Dorset, England.
- ^ Tiwari A, et al (2005). "Adaptability and production of hottest chilli variety under Gwalior climatic conditions". Current Science 88 (10).
