Ghost pepper

The name bhüt jolokia (ভোট জলকীয়া) means 'Bhutanese pepper' in Assamese; the first element bhüt, meaning 'Bhutan', was mistakenly confused for a near-homonym bhut meaning 'ghost'.[9][10][11][12]

In Assam,[13] the pepper is also known as bih zôlôkia ('poison chili'), from Assamese bih 'poison' and zôlôkia 'chili pepper,' denoting the plant's heat.[14]

Similarly, in Nagaland, one of the regions of cultivation, the chili is called Naga jolokia ('Naga chili'; also romanized nôga zôlôkia) and bhut jolokia (also romanized bhût zôlôkiya).[14] This name is especially common in other regions where it is grown, such as Assam and Manipur.[14] Other usages on the subcontinent are saga jolokia, 'Indian mystery chili' and 'Indian rough chili'.[14]

It has also been called the Tezpur chili after the Assamese city of Tezpur.[15] In Manipur, the chili is called umorok[16] or oo-morok ('tree chili').

In northeastern India, the bhut jolokia is also known as the "king chilli" or "king cobra chilli'".[17]

In 2000, India's Defence Research Laboratory (DRL) reported a Scoville rating for the ghost pepper of 855,000 SHUs,[18] and in 2004 a rating of 1,041,427 SHUs was made using HPLC analysis.[19] 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 SHUs. In 2005, New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute in Las Cruces, New Mexico[20] found ghost peppers grown from seed in southern New Mexico to have a Scoville rating of 1,001,304 SHUs by HPLC.[5] Unlike most peppers, ghost peppers produce capsaicin in vesicles found in both the placenta around the seeds and throughout the fruit, rather than just in the placenta.[21]

Ripe peppers measure 60 to 85 mm (2.4 to 3.3 in) in length and 25 to 30 mm (1.0 to 1.2 in) in width with a red, yellow, orange, or chocolate color. The unselected strain of ghost peppers from India is an extremely variable plant, with a wide range in fruit sizes and fruit production per plant. Ghost pepper pods are unique among peppers because of their characteristic shape and very thin skin.[22] However, the red fruit variety has two different types: the rough, dented fruit and the smooth fruit. The rough fruit plants are taller, with more fragile branches, while the smooth fruit plants yield more fruit and are compact with sturdier branches.[23] It takes about 7–12 days to germinate at 32–38 °C.

The ghost pepper

Ghost peppers are used as a food and a spice.[6] It is used in both fresh and dried forms to "heat up" curries, pickles and chutneys. It is popularly used in combination with pork or dried 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.[24][25] The pepper's intense heat makes it a fixture in competitive chili-pepper eating.[26]

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  Ghost pepper leaf, about 10-day-old plant
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  Ghost pepper leaf, about 30-day-old plant
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  Ghost pepper plant, 40 days old, grown in coco peat
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  Peach ghost pepper
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  Yellow ghost pepper
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  Chocolate ghost pepper
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  Purple ghost pepper
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  Red ghost pepper
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  Ripe, harvested bhut jolokia
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  Bhut jolokia/ghost pepper plant

• List of Capsicum cultivars