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by:Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Division:
Magnoliophyta
Class:
Magnoliopsida
Subclass:
Asteridae
Order:
Solanales
Family:
Solanaceae
Genus:
Capsicum
Species:
C. chinense C. frutescens
Subspecies:
C. c. cultivar Naga Jolokia
Trinomial name
Capsicum chinense 'Naga Jolokia'
Heat: Peak (SR: 1,041,427)
The Bhut Jolokia (also known as Naga Jolokia, Ghost Chili, Ghost Pepper, Naga Morich) is a chili pepper that grows in northeastern India (Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur), Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. In 2006, it was confirmed by Guinness World Records to be the hottest chili in the world, displacing the Red Savina. Disagreement has arisen on whether it is a Capsicum frutescens or a Capsicum chinense. The Indians claim it is a C. frutescens, but the derived cultivar Dorset Naga was assessed as a C. chinense. Recent DNA tests have found both C. chinense and C. frutescens genes.
Nomenclature
It is also called Bih Jolokia in some places of Assam (Bih = 'poison', Jolokia = 'chili pepper'; in Assamese). Other names are Bhut Jolokia (Bhut = 'ghost', probably due to its ghostly bite or introduction by the Bhutias from Bhutan poison chili), Oo-Morok in Manipur (Oo = 'Tree', 'Oo' pronounced as in Book, Morok = 'Chilli'), Borbih Jolokia, Nagahari, Nagajolokia, Naga Morich, Naga Moresh and Raja Mirchi ('King of Chillies'). Regardless of the nomenclature, they all refer to the same plant. The word Naga, meaning "cobra snake" in Sanskrit, stems from Nagaland and the Naga Community.
Ripe Bhuts measure 60 mm (2.4 in) to 85 mm (3.3 in) long and 25 mm (1.0 in) to 30 mm (1.2 in) wide with an orange or red color. They are similar in appearance to the Habanero pepper, but have a rougher, dented skin—a main characteristic of the Naga.
Scoville rating
In 2000, scientists at India's Defence Research Laboratory (DRL) reported a rating of 855,000 units on the Scoville scale, and in 2004 an Indian export company called Frontal Agritech obtained a rating of 1,041,427 units,[5] which would mean it is almost twice as hot as the Red Savina pepper and roughly equal to the similar-looking Dorset Naga,[6] which is derived from the Naga Jolokia. For comparison, pure capsaicin rates at 15,000,000–16,000,000 Scoville units.
In 2005 at New Mexico State University Chile Pepper Institute near Las Cruces, New Mexico, Regents Professor Paul Bosland found Naga Jolokia grown from seed in southern New Mexico to have a Scoville rating of 1,001,304 SHU by HPLC.
In February 2007, Guinness World Records certified the Bhut Jolokia (Prof. Bosland's preferred name for the pepper) as the world's hottest chili pepper.
The effect of climate on the Scoville rating of Bhut Jolokia peppers is dramatic. A 2005 Indian study that compared the percentage availability of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in Bhut 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 more arid climate (similar temperatures but less humid, much lower rainfall).
Dorset Naga peppers
The cultivar Dorset Naga pepper (cultivar status in process) is grown in West Bexington, Dorset, England. It was developed through simple plant selection by Michael and Joy Michaud. Samples sent to two different U.S. laboratories in early 2006 reported heat ratings of 876,000 and 970,000 Scoville units. In 2006, BBC Gardener's World used the services of Warwick Horticulture Research International to test the Scoville score of this cultivar, and obtained a 1.6 million SHU result.
Characteristics
Plant height
45-120 cm
Stem color
Green
Leaf color
Green
Leaf length
10.65-14.25 cm
Leaf width
5.4-7.5 cm
Pedicels/axil
2
Corolla color
Yellow green
Anther color
Pale blue
Annular constriction
Present below calyx
Fruit color at maturity
Red
Fruit shape
Sub-conical to conical
Fruit length
5.95-8.54 cm
Fruit width at shoulder
2.5-2.95 cm
Fruit weight
6.95-8.97 g
Fruit surface
Rough, uneven
Seed color
Light brown
1000 seed weight
0.41-0.46 g
Seeds/fruit
19.22-34.15
Hypocotyl color
Green
Cotyledonous leaf shape
Deltoid
Uses
The pepper is used as a spice in food or eaten alone. One seed from a Bhut Jolokia can sustain intense pain sensations in the mouth for up to 30 minutes before subsiding. Extreme care should be taken when ingesting the pepper and its seeds, so as to not get it in the eyes. It is used as a cure for stomach ailments. It is also used as a remedy to summer heat, presumably by inducing perspiration. In northeastern India the peppers are smeared on fences or used in smoke bombs as a safety precaution to keep wild elephants at a distance.
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