Red Hot Chili Peppers - Bhut Jolokia - World's Hottest!

According the the Guinness World Book of Records, the Bhut Jolokia, also known as the Naja Jolokia or 'Ghost Chili' holds the official world record of being the hottest pepper—rated at a sweltering hot 1,041,427 Scoville heat units.

In fall of 2006, Guinness cofirmed with the help of Dr. Paul Bosiland, a professor and noted chili breeder at New Mexico University, is the world's hottest chili pepper.

The Bhut Jolokia is a naturally occurring inter-specific, hybrid naturally occuring to the Assam region of Northeastern India. It is part of the Capsicum Chinense species, which also includes the habanero and red savina. Scientists in the United States and India tested them to be approximately twice the heat of the previous record holder—the Red Savina.

The locals in the hills of India have nicknamed it the "Ghost Chili," because it is said that anyone who has tried it could end up an apparition—when you eat it, it is like dying. It takes thrity minutes for the pain to subside in your mouth just by eating one seed of this scortching chili pepper.

The pepper can be eaten alone or as a spice in food. Extreme caution should be taken when ingesting the pepper and its seeds, so as to not get it in the eyes.

Locals have used as a cure for stomach ailments and as a remedy to summer heat in India, presumably by inducing perspiration. The peppers are also smeared on fences or used in smoke bombs as a safety precaution to keep wild elephants at a distance.

According to Dr. Bosland, it took a couple of years to get enough data for field testing since the plant is not easily cultivated.

Testing revealed that the Bhut Jolokia exhibited significantly higher Scoville Heat Units, as much as triple the amount under controlled settings. These findings were confirmed by two indendent laboratories.

“This isn’t something you’d pickle whole and eat,” Bosland said, “but it could replace dehydrated jalapeno as an additive.”

Since the capsacin is so concentrated in the Bhut Jolokia, it has extraordinary potential as an additive in the food industry, significantly less can be utilized. Therefore food manufactures would be able to save money.