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Ghost pepper

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Bhut Jolokia chili
Fresh Bhut Jolokia Peppers (whole and cut)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Asterids
Order:
Solanales
Family:
Solanaceae
Genus:
Capsicum
Species:
C. chinense, C. frutescens
Subspecies:
C. c. cultivar Bhut Jolokia
Trinomial name
Capsicum chinense 'Bhut Jolokia

The bhut jolokia—also known variously by other names in its native region, most commonly naga jolokia—is a chili pepper generally recognized as the hottest in the world. The pepper is often called the ghost chili by Western media.[1][2][3]

The Bhut Jolokia is a naturally-occurring interspecific hybrid from the Assam region of northeastern India.[4][5] It grows in the Indian states of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur, and the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. It can also be found in rural Sri Lanka where it is known as Nai Mirris (Cobra Chilli). There was initially some confusion and disagreement about whether the Bhut was a Capsicum frutescens[6] or a Capsicum chinense pepper, but DNA tests showed it to be an interspecies hybrid, mostly C. chinense with some C. frutescens genes.[7] In 2007, Guinness World Records certified the Bhut Jolokia as the world's hottest chili pepper, 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce.[8]

Etymology

The pepper is called different names in different regions. An article in the Asian Age newspaper stated that experts in Assam are worried about a distortion of the colloquial nomenclature of "Bhot" to "bhut", saying that this word was misinterpreted by the (Western) media to mean "ghost".[9] The article stated that people living north of the Brahmaputra River call the pepper "Bhot jolokia", "Bhot" meaning "of Bhotiya origin", or something that has come from the hills of adjoining Bhutan; on the southern bank of the river Brahmaputra, this chili becomes Naga jolokia, believed to have originated from the hills of Nagaland.[9] An alternative source for Naga jolokia is that the name originates from the ferocious Naga warriors who once inhabited Nagaland.[10] Further complicating matters, a 2009 paper, published in the Asian Agri-History journal, coined the English term "Naga king chili" and stated that the most common Indian (Assamese) usage is bhoot jolokia,[11][12] which refers to the chili's large pod size, and gives the alternate common name as bih jolokia (bih means "poison" in Assamese, denoting the plant's heat). The assertion that bhut (bhoot) means "ghost" is claimed by researchers from the New Mexico State University, but as in the article from the Asian Age, denied by Indian researchers from Nagaland University.[7][11] The Assamese word "jolokia" simply means the Capsicum pepper.[7][13] The chili is also known as Naga morich in Bangladesh (morich meaning "pepper").[14] Other usages on the subcontinent are saga jolokia, Indian mystery chili, and Indian rough chili (after the chili's rough skin).[11][15] It has also been called the Tezpur chili after the Assamese city of Tezpur.[10] In Manipur, the chili is called umorok,[16] or oo-morok (oo = "tree", morok = "chili").

Scoville rating

Ghost pepper
HeatMaximum (SR: 1,041,427)

In 2000, India's Defence Research Laboratory (DRL) reported a rating of 855,000 units on the Scoville scale,[6] and in 2004 a rating of 1,041,427 units was made using HPLC analysis.[17] 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 15,000,000–16,000,000 Scoville units.[18]

In 2005, at New Mexico State University Chile Pepper Institute near Las Cruces, New Mexico, 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.[4]

In February 2007, Guinness World Records published that the bhut jolokia was the hottest chili pepper ever submitted for judgment.[4][19]

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) and Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) showed that the heat of the pepper is decreased by over 50% in Gwalior's more arid climate.[20]

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 an orange or red 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 their unusual rough, dented and very thin skin.[21]

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 per 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 tan
1000 seed weight 0.41–0.46 g
Seeds per fruit 19–35 [citation needed]
Hypocotyl color Green
Cotyledonous leaf shape Deltoid

Uses

The pepper is used in India in homeopathic preparations for stomach ailments. It is also used as a spice as well as a remedy to summer heat, presumably by inducing perspiration in the consumer.[5] 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.[22][23]

As a weapon

In 2009, scientists at India's Defence Research and Development Organisation announced plans to use the chillies 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.[24][25]

R. B. Srivastava, the director of the Life Sciences Department at the New Delhi headquarters of India's Defence Research and Development Organisation said. Srivastava, who led a defense research laboratory in Assam, said trials are also on to produce bhut jolokia-based aerosol sprays to be used by potential victims against attackers and for the police to control and disperse mobs.[26]

References

  1. ^ "''Ghost Chili'' Scares Off Elephants". News.nationalgeographic.com. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
  2. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LJYeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SIYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6393,9014&dq=ghost-chili&hl=en
  3. ^ Ritter, Peter (2007-02-22). "6,000 Years of Red Hot Chili Peppers". TIME. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
  4. ^ a b c Shaline L. Lopez (2007). "NMSU is home to the world's hottest chile pepper". Retrieved 2007-02-21.
  5. ^ a b "'Ghost chile' burns away stomach ills - Diet & Nutrition - MSNBC.com:". Associated Press. 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  6. ^ a b Mathur R; et al. (2000). "The hottest chile variety in India" (PDF). Current Science. 79 (3): 287–8. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)
  7. ^ a b c Paul W. Bosland and Jit B. Baral (2007). "'Bhut Jolokia'—The World's Hottest Known Chile Pepper is a Putative Naturally Occurring Interspecific Hybrid" (PDF). Horticultural Science. 42 (2): 222–4.
  8. ^ Barnes, Taylor (2010-03-30). "India adds world's hottest chili pepper to its anti-terrorism arsenal". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  9. ^ a b "The Asian Age - Enjoy the difference". www.asianage.com. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
  10. ^ a b Dave DeWitt, Dave DeWitt coauthors=Paul W. Bosland (2009). The Complete Chile Pepper Book. Timber Press. p. 158. ISBN 0881929204.
  11. ^ a b c Raktim Ranjan Bhagowati; et al. (2009). "Genetic Variability and Traditional Practices in Naga King Chili Landraces of Nagaland" (PDF). Asian Agri-History. 13 (3): pp. 171–180. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)
  12. ^ "The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) Northeast 'Hottest' chef gets a taste of hottest jolokia". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
  13. ^ "The Hindu News Update Service". www.thehindu.com. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
  14. ^ "Can't stand the heat - Sunday Life - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
  15. ^ "Saga Jolokia: Indian chilli acquires cult following in US- ET Cetera-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times". indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
  16. ^ SANATOMBI K., G. J. SHARMA (2008). "Capsaicin Content and Pungency of Different Capsicum spp. Cultivars" (PDF). Not. Bot. Hort. Agrobot. Cluj. 36 (2): pp. 89–90. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  17. ^ "Bih jolokia". 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-12.
  18. ^ Uhl (1996), op. cit. "The HPLC measures the capsaicinoid(s) in ppm, which can then be converted to Scoville units using a conversion factor of 15, 20 or 30 depending on the capsaicinoid." This would make capsaicin 15,000,000
  19. ^ "Indian chile world's hottest: Guinness". 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
  20. ^ Tiwari A; et al. (2005). "Adaptability and production of hottest chile variety under Gwalior climatic conditions" (PDF). Current Science. 88 (10): 1545–6. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)
  21. ^ Barker, Catherine L. (2007), "Hot Pod: World's Hottest", National Geographic Magazine, vol. 2007, no. May, p. 21
  22. ^ Hussain, Wasbir (2007-11-20). "World's Hottest Chile Used as Elephant Repellent". National Geographic. Retrieved 2007-11-21.
  23. ^ "Ghost Chile Scares Off Elephants". National Geographic News website. National Geographic. 2007-11-20. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
  24. ^ [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8]
  25. ^ "South Asia | India plans hot chilli grenades". BBC News. 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
  26. ^ [9][dead link‍]
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