It could simply blow your head off! The hottest chili pepper on this earth – Naga Jolokia. It is also known as Naga Morich, Raja Mirchi (“King of Chillies”) or Bhut Jolokia – received the honor from Guinness World Records in February 2007. The Nagas recording a scoville rating of 1,041,427 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) are twice as hot as Red Savina pepper, the previous record holder. The Ripe Naga Jolokias are available in red or orange and measures 60mm to 85mm in length and 25mm to 30mm width. It bears a characteristic rough and dented skin.

Controversies hovered over Naga Jolokia’s Capsicum frutescens or Capsicum chinense origin. The Naga Jolokia grown on the terrains of Bangladesh and the states of northeastern India like Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur claims to be a C. frutescens, whereas the derived cultivar Dorset Naga is suggested to be C.chinense. However, the recent DNA tests unveil the presence of both C. chinense as well as C. frutescens genes within the chili.

With a refreshing smell and sore taste, the hottest chili has a wide variety of uses in several preparations. It is even eaten alone by the natives of northeastern India. Nevertheless, it needs to be handled carefully – it is well know as a killer chilli. On a better note, it plays a serious role in curing stomach ailments and offers a great remedy to counter summer heat.