Bhut Jolokia

Butt Jolokia (Ghost Pepper)

Heat	Exceptionally hot
Scoville scale	330,000–1,532,310-[source not sure]

The Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) (Assamese: ভোট-জলকীয়া), ^[1][2] also known as Naga Jolokia, Bih Jolokia, ghost pepper, ghost chili pepper, red naga chilli and ghost chilli is an interspecific hybrid cultivated in the Indian states of Assam and Nagaland.^[3][4] It grows in the Indian states of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur. There was initially some confusion and disagreement about whether the Bhut was a Capsicum frutescens^[5] or a Capsicum chinense pepper, but DNA tests showed it to be an interspecies hybrid, mostly C. chinense with some C. frutescens genes.^[6]

In 2007, Guinness World Records certified that the Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia) was the world's hottest chili pepper, 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce; however, as of 2012 it was superseded by the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion.^[7]

On December 26, 2013 the Guinness World Records voted the Carolina Reaper the world's hottest pepper, dethroning the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion.^[8]

Etymology

The chili is called by different names in different regions. In Assam, it is widely called Bhot Jolokia (ভোট জলকীয়া )or Bih Jolokia(বিহ জলকীয়া),- but not Bhoot Jolokia (ভূত জলকীয়া) or Bhut Jolokia, like many people call it nowadays, (Check the Assamese spellings). In Assamese the word "BHOT" (ভোট) means Bhutanese; this does not mean that this chilli originated in Bhutan since in Assamese many plants are named after different tribes. Viz. "BHOT ERA", "NOGA TENGA, "MAN DHONIA", "AHOM BOGORI" Etc.Etc.). In some parts of Assam this chili is called Noga jolokia, believed to be named after the ferocious Naga warriors inhabiting the plains & hills of Nagaland.^[9] Further complicating matters, a 2009 paper, published in the Asian Agri-History journal, coined the English term "Naga king chili" which refers to the chili's large pod size.^[10][11] This is probably because the chilli has long been colloquially known as "Raja Mircha" or "Raja Mirchi" in Nagaland. It also stated that the most common Indian (Assamese) usage is Bhot jolokia and gives the alternate common name as Bih Jolokia (bih means "poison" in Assamese, denoting the plant's heat). The Assamese word "jolokia" simply means the Capsicum pepper. Other usages on the subcontinent are Saga Jolokia, Indian mystery chili, and Indian rough chili (after the chili's rough skin).^[10][12] It has also been called the Tezpur chili after the Assamese city of Tezpur.^[9] In Manipur, the chili is called umorok or oo-morok (oo = "tree", morok = "chili").^[13]

Scoville rating

In 2000, India's Defence Research Laboratory (DRL) reported a rating of 855,000 heat units (SHU) on the Scoville scale,^[5] and in 2004 a rating of 1,041,427 units was made using HPLC analysis.^[14] For comparison, Tabasco red pepper sauce rates at 2,500–5,000, and pure capsaicin (the chemical responsible for the pungency of pepper plants) rates at 16,000,000 SHU.

In 2005, at New Mexico State University Chile Pepper Institute near Las Cruces, New Mexico,^[15] regents Professor Paul Bosland found Bhut Jolokia grown from seed in southern New Mexico to have a Scoville rating of 1,001,304 SHU by HPLC.^[3]

The effect of climate on the Scoville rating of Bhut Jolokia peppers is dramatic. A 2005 study comparing percentage availability of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in Bhut Jolokia peppers grown in Tezpur (Assam), India showed that the heat of the pepper is decreased by over 50% in Gwalior's more arid climate.^[16] Elsewhere in India, scientists at Manipur University measured Bhot Jolokia's average Scoville rating by HPLC at only 329,100 SHU.^[13]

Characteristics

Ripe peppers measure 60 to 85 mm (2.4 to 3.3 in) long and 25 to 30 mm (1.0 to 1.2 in) wide with a red, yellow, orange or chocolate color. The unselected strain of Bhut Jolokia from India is an extremely variable plant, with a wide range in fruit sizes and amount of fruit production per plant, and offers a huge potential for developing much better strains through selection in the future. Bhut Jolokia pods are unique among peppers, with their characteristic shape, and very thin skin.^[17] However, for the red fruit variety, there are two different fruit types, the rough, dented fruit and the smooth fruit. The images on this page show the smooth fruit form. The rough fruit plants are taller, with more fragile branches, and the smooth fruit plants yields more fruit, and is a more compact plant with sturdier branches.^[18]

Uses

Bhut Jolokia is used as a food and a spice as well as a remedy to summer heat.^[4] It is used in both fresh and dried forms, to not only "heat up" curries, pickles and chutneys, but also to impart two distinct flavours to them. It is popularly used in combination with pork or dried fish or fermented fish. In northeastern India, the peppers are smeared on fences or incorporated in smoke bombs as a safety precaution to keep wild elephants at a distance.^[19][20] The pepper's intense heat makes it a fixture in competitive chili pepper eating.

As a weapon

In 2009, scientists at India's Defence Research and Development Organisation announced plans to use the peppers in hand grenades, as a non lethal way to flush out terrorists from their hideouts and to control rioters. It will also be developed into pepper spray as a self-defense product.^{[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]}

R. B. Srivastava, the director of the Life Sciences Department at the New Delhi headquarters of India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (who also led a defense research laboratory in Assam), said bhut jolokia-based aerosol sprays could be used as a "safety device", and "civil variants" of chili grenades could be used to control and disperse mobs.^[30]

Dorset Naga

The Dorset Naga is a sub-strain of the original Naga, selected from the Bangladeshi varieties of the chili, naga morich.^[31]

Annually, since 2005, the heat level of Dorset Naga has been tested, taking samples from different sites, various seasons and states of maturity. The heat level has ranged from 661,451 SHU for green fruit in 2007, up to 1,032,310 SHU for ripe fruit harvested in 2009.^[32]

High as the results were, the BBC's Gardeners' World television programme recorded a much higher heat level for Dorset Naga. As part of the 2006 programming, the BBC gardening team ran a trial looking at several chili varieties, including Dorset Naga. Heat levels were tested by Warwick HRI and the Dorset Naga came in at 1,598,227 SHU, one of the hottest heat levels ever recorded for a chili.^[31][33]

Gallery

See also

• List of Capsicum cultivars

References