Ghost Chili
Chili peppers are a major part of many Lao meals. The spiciest pepper is suppose to be “mang pick kee noo”, which I won’t translate in English. It’s really small and can pack a real big punch. But our Lao pepper did not make it to the Guinness Book of World Records. That record belongs to a chili that comes from northern India. A place that is more ethnically Chinese and Burmese then Indians.
In English they call it “ghost chili”, since anyone who has tried it could end up an apparition. Or in India, it’s called “bhut jolokia”. It’s been loved in India’s northeast for generations. They eat them as a spice, a cure for stomach troubles and a way to fight the summer heat too. The paste can be used for everything from hot sauces to tear gas. Because the heat is so concentrated, food manufacturer can just use a small amount as seasoning than they would with normal chilis.
I don’t think I would be brave enough to try this ghost chili. I remember as a kid, my uncle try to get us to eat a chili just to see if we could handle it. Thinking back, it was a bit cruel, but very memorable and funny.
From AP News, July 31, 2007: Think you can handle spicy? Try ‘ghost chili’
“A chili’s spiciness can be scientifically measured by calculating its content of capsaicin, the chemical that gives a pepper its bite, and counting its Scoville units. And how hot is the bhut jolokia? As a way of comparison: Classic Tabasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units. Your basic jalapeno pepper measures anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000. The previous record holder, the Red Savina habanero, was tested at up to 580,000 Scovilles. The bhut jolokia crushed those contenders, testing at 1,001,304 Scoville units.”
What a discovery. I wonder if we can plant this chili in Laos.
I was given three or four of "ghost chili" a couple of years ago as free sample from the local grocery store. They look harmless though and kinda cute with all the wrinkles. I thought they would be sweet but I was wrong! With the first bite I was in tears. I thought I was just being a whimp for not having eaten much peppers the last few years.
Now I know I was not a crying baby.
Okay, so I'm a whimp, I'll pass on this one. Lol.
Yes, Ginger and I are wimps when it comes to chili peppers.
"A few specialty companies in the
United States and Britain sell dried chilis and seeds, but the plants
are painfully fragile, susceptible to many pests and diseases, and very
difficult to grow."
The gentle sloping hills, heat and humidity (of the
Indian northeast) make it the ideal greenhouse. Who knows, maybe there is place like this in Laos. But it would be challenging to farm.