If you like spicy food, you probably know all about people telling you that a condiment is very, very spicy, only for you to find that you need an entire bottle of it to produce a mere tingle in your mouth. Luckily there are options that really will make your eyes water. Ghost pepper hot sauce, for instance, is the perfect way to add some spice to your life.
The ghost pepper is also known as the bhut jolokia. It's native to the northeastern Indian state of Assam. Depending on the variety, its texture can be uneven or smooth. When it's ripe, its color can vary from red or yellow to orange or even chocolate brown. A bhut jolokia chili is about two and a half inches long and about an inch in diameter.
People in Assam use the chilies to add flavor and spice to their food. It helps to combat the uncomfortably hot climate. In addition, it is used as a safety precaution against elephants. Villagers and farmers simply smear it on their fences and the pachyderms will stay away. The Indian military now even experiments with this fiery little fruit as an ingredient in pepper spray and smoke grenades.
It's clear that the bhut jolokia is not just any old chili. It measures around a million heat units on the Scoville scale. To give you an idea of just how hot that is, a habanero measures between 100,000 and 300,000 SHU. For a while the bhut jolokia was the world's hottest of hot peppers but it has since been surpassed by the Carolina Reaper and the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, both of which rate at more than 1,500,000 SHU.
Many people, upon taking their first bite of the bhut jolokia, wonder what the fuss is all about. This thought only lasts for about 30 seconds, though, before the heat starts kicking in. The burning sensation becomes more intense for the next 10 to 15 minutes and it's only when it subsides after 30 minutes or so that you start thinking that you may survive this after all. Milky products like ice cream or yogurt will help a little but avoid anything that is carbonated because this will only make the burning worse.
If you have an abundance of bhut jolokia peppers, you can use them to make your own sauce. This is akin to working with dangerous chemicals in a lab. You'll need latex gloves to handle the peppers because they will burn your skin. Goggles to protect your eyes and a mask to keep you from inhaling the fumes will help too. Use separate plastic utensils because the peppers produce an oil that will stick to metal for quite a while.
It's probably safer to buy bottled sauces instead. There is a wide variety available. Many of these sauces contain ingredients like onions, garlic, other spices, lemon or lime juice and a vinegar base.
These days, ghost pepper hot sauce is quite readily available. There are mass-produced brands that you can simply pick up at your local grocery store or order online. If you want a more homemade taste, check at the farmer's market or in delis.
The ghost pepper is also known as the bhut jolokia. It's native to the northeastern Indian state of Assam. Depending on the variety, its texture can be uneven or smooth. When it's ripe, its color can vary from red or yellow to orange or even chocolate brown. A bhut jolokia chili is about two and a half inches long and about an inch in diameter.
People in Assam use the chilies to add flavor and spice to their food. It helps to combat the uncomfortably hot climate. In addition, it is used as a safety precaution against elephants. Villagers and farmers simply smear it on their fences and the pachyderms will stay away. The Indian military now even experiments with this fiery little fruit as an ingredient in pepper spray and smoke grenades.
It's clear that the bhut jolokia is not just any old chili. It measures around a million heat units on the Scoville scale. To give you an idea of just how hot that is, a habanero measures between 100,000 and 300,000 SHU. For a while the bhut jolokia was the world's hottest of hot peppers but it has since been surpassed by the Carolina Reaper and the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, both of which rate at more than 1,500,000 SHU.
Many people, upon taking their first bite of the bhut jolokia, wonder what the fuss is all about. This thought only lasts for about 30 seconds, though, before the heat starts kicking in. The burning sensation becomes more intense for the next 10 to 15 minutes and it's only when it subsides after 30 minutes or so that you start thinking that you may survive this after all. Milky products like ice cream or yogurt will help a little but avoid anything that is carbonated because this will only make the burning worse.
If you have an abundance of bhut jolokia peppers, you can use them to make your own sauce. This is akin to working with dangerous chemicals in a lab. You'll need latex gloves to handle the peppers because they will burn your skin. Goggles to protect your eyes and a mask to keep you from inhaling the fumes will help too. Use separate plastic utensils because the peppers produce an oil that will stick to metal for quite a while.
It's probably safer to buy bottled sauces instead. There is a wide variety available. Many of these sauces contain ingredients like onions, garlic, other spices, lemon or lime juice and a vinegar base.
These days, ghost pepper hot sauce is quite readily available. There are mass-produced brands that you can simply pick up at your local grocery store or order online. If you want a more homemade taste, check at the farmer's market or in delis.