Bhut Jolokia the Hottest of All Chilies and Spices

June 25, 2009

Bhut Jolokia, the Hottest of All Chilies and Spices

Bhut Jolokia, a chili native to Assam, was declared as the hottest chili pepper in the world in the Guinness Book of World Records. Bhut jolokia, a thumb-sized chili pepper with frightening potency, is widely eaten as a spice, a cure for stomach troubles and paradoxically, a way to fight the stifling summer heat too. The chili pepper was discovered by New Mexico State University (MNSU) Regent's Professor Paul Bosland .

(Pic: Bhut jolokia, or Naga jolokia of Assam, N.E. Indai)

Bhut Jolokia, at 1,001,304 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), is nearly twice as hot as Red Savina (heat level of 577,000 SHUs, Guinness Book of World Records, 2006). the chili pepper variety it replaces as the world's hottest.

The name Bhut Jolokia translates as ghost chili, or naga jolokia as dragon chili. In Asian countries, they connote the meaning of supremacy.

If you cannot imagine how burning the bhut jolokia can be as it tops a million SHU, here is just to give you an idea:

"When you eat it, you feel like dying. Even packaging the stuff is a pain. Our workers in Assam wear goggles, face masks, head cover and protective clothing," says Ananta Saikia, sole exporter of pepper here. "They look like astronauts." The workers are no ordinary chili eaters. Locals in Assam and the neighboring states of Manipur and Nagaland add fresh chopped chilies of bhut jolokia to the pot when cooking curries. The hardiest eat them raw as a condiment.

Bhut Jolokia (capsicum frutescens) is a naturally occurring inter-specific hybrid indigenous to Assam region of northeastern India, where climatic conditions are perfect for pepper production. A member of NMSU's Chile Pepper Institute visiting India sent Bhut Jolokia sent seeds back to NMSU for testing in 2001.

(Pic: A farmer collects "Bhut Jolokia" or "Naga Chili" peppers in his field at Bakata in Sivasagar district of Assam
Assamtimes.org)

Professor Bosland of NMSU then grew Bhut Jolokia, Red Savina, and habanero peppers under controlled settings. Replicated field trials had Bhut Jolokia recording significantly higher SHUs, as much as triple the amount, and these findings were confirmed by two independent laboratories.


Orange bhut jolokia	Red savina	Habanero
SHU = 1 001 304	SHU = 577 000	SHU = 150 000

Chili peppers (Capsicum L. spp.) are known for their pungency, causing the unbearable sensation of heat or burning when consumed. The heat sensation is incited by the type and the amount of a group of capsaicinoids, the alkaloids found only in chili pepper pods . The amount of capsaicin in a chile pepper pod is dependent on the genetic makeup of the plant and the environment where it is grown (Harvell and Bosland,1997; Zewdie and Bosland, 2000). The capsaicinoids have evolved in chile peppers as a defense mechanism against predators. Incidentally, the trait has evolved as an important chili attribute and the most important reason for chili to gain increasing global popularity.

Chile peppers were first introduced to Europe by Christopher Columbus. Shortly, Portuguese traders introduced chili peppers along their trade routes in Africa and Asia, including India (Andrews, 1999). By 1542, three varieties of chili peppers were grown in India. Today various varieties of shapes, sizes, colors, and heat levels are grown in different locations adapting to local soil and climate conditions, and local demands.

Bhut jolokia has great potential in the packaged food industry as a food additive. The pepper could be pickled while still green, dehydrated and used as a seasoning. Because the heat is so concentrated, less would be needed and food manufacturers would save money.

Anandita.D. Tamuly of Assam will soon have her name entered in the Guinness World Records after having munched 51 bhut jolokia, the world’s hottest chilies, in two minutes. She performed the bizarre feat without batting an eyelid or shedding a tear and also smeared seeds of 25 chilies in her eyes in one minute in front of an awe-stricken crowd and TV host, renown British chef Gordon Ramsay.
(Pic source: Standaard.be)

Prior to this, the reigning chili champ is South Africa’s Anita Crafford, who in 2002 gobbled eight jalapenos in a minute.

‘I have been eating Bhut Jolokia since my childhood and never felt the hotness in my mouth. I had a sore tongue and my mother applied a chili paste to cure the infection when I was five. And I got cured. Since then I developed a penchant for chilies,’ she said.

Chili is a staple ingredient in every meal among many people in northeastern India.

References and related news:

Assamese Woman Munches World's Hottest Chillies: Bombaynews.net April 10, 2009
Bhut Jolokia: Aces.nmsu.edu 2007

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