All the rage right now is the Ghost Pepper aka Bhut Jolokia or Naga Jolokia. It hails from the Northeastern region of Assam, India. On the Scoville scale it is 300x hotter than a jalapeno and 3x hotter than a habanera at a whopping 1,041,427 SKU. When dried it takes on a white/grayish color. But the name perhaps comes from the fact that the heat of the pepper sneaks up on you a few seconds after eating. So don't be surprised!In India it is commonly used for food or as a spice. Due to it's heat content it definitely induces perspiration in the consumer! It is also used in India to ward off wild elephants by being painted on fences. Thankfully we don't have this problem in our area. Wonder if we planted it in our yards if it would ward off mosquitoes and for those of us who live in the country - skunks, possums, raccoons & snakes! Something to think about :)
In Texas, we use this wonderful hot pepper in soup, chili, stew, salsa and Texas Pepper Jam. We have come up with a very tasty and not too hot Key Lime Ghost Pepper Jam. It tastes great over cream cheese but also as a marinade cooked over fish & chicken.
Give it a try, you might like it!
Might have to find me some to plant and try, since we seem to have a skunk that has taken up habitation under and around our house. :)
ReplyDeleteJust blogged about your post, too.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember what pepper it was I once grew -- I don't like hot peppers but thought they'd be pretty and Rick's co-workers would like them. But I picked a batch, accidentally touched my eye -- BLIND. Totally completely wrecked!
ReplyDeleteCould be the ghost pepper. It can be a dangerous pepper just to touch. We had a man come by our booth last weekend. He has a plant in his yard. He normally eats hot peppers but he could barely take a nibble off the ghost pepper & was on fire for most of the day. Scared him silly he said. They are HOT! Glad you didn't lose your eyesight totally!
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