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Ghost pepper

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The ghost pepper is a very hot chili pepper. It grows in Northeast India. People call it many names in different places. In Assam, the name means "Bhutanese pepper." This happened because a word that sounds like "ghost" was confused with a word for "Bhutanese." In Nagaland, people call it the "king chili." Some people also call it the "king cobra chili." This pepper is famous for being extremely spicy.

Bhoot Jolokia ( Ghost Chili pepper )
Bhoot Jolokia ( Ghost Chili pepper )

Heat in peppers comes from a chemical called capsaicin. Most peppers only have this near the seeds. Ghost peppers are different because they have it throughout the whole fruit. Scientists use the Scoville Heat Unit scale to measure this heat. In 2004, one test showed a rating of 1,041,427 SHUs. This is much hotter than Tabasco sauce. Tabasco sauce only rates between 2,500 and 5,000 SHUs. Pure capsaicin is the hottest at 16,000,000 SHUs.

Many people have studied these peppers over the years. In 2007, Guinness World Records named it the hottest pepper. Since then, other peppers have taken that title. The Trinidad Scorpion Butch T pepper won in 2011. The Carolina Reaper won in 2013. Then Pepper X was named the hottest in 2023. Scientists also use special tests like HPLC analysis to find the heat. These tests help them understand the pepper better.

Ghost pepper plants can look many different ways. The fruit can be red, yellow, orange, or even chocolate colored. The peppers have very thin skin and a unique shape. Some red fruits are rough and dented. These come from tall plants with fragile branches. Other red fruits are smooth. These come from short plants with sturdy branches. A single fruit usually weighs between 6.95 and 8.97 grams.

People use the ghost pepper in many ways. It is a spice for curries, pickles, and chutneys. It is often eaten with pork or fish. The heat is also used for safety. In Northeast India, people smear peppers on fences. This keeps wild elephants at a distance. Scientists in India even planned to use the pepper in grenades. These can be used as a safety device to control crowds.

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File:Bhoot Jolokia ( Ghost Chili pepper ).jpg
Bhoot Jolokia ( Ghost Chili pepper ).jpg
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