Chilli breeder produces new scorcher
9 August 2011
A new British bred-chilli pepper could be a contender for the title of hottest chilli in the world, after initial testing put it at over 700,000 on the Scoville scale measuring levels of capsaicin, the chemical which makes chillies 'hot'.
'Bengle Naga' is the result of years of careful selection from an Indian strain of the Bhut Jolokia chilli by Joy Michaud of Dorset-based chilli specialists Sea Spring Seeds. It produces abundant crops of lime-green, wrinkled fruits maturing to deep red.
Its first Scoville testing last year produced a rating of 732,000 SHU and trials are now under way to test the chilli's score when grown in varying conditions.
'We've got to keep testing it for a few more years yet, but it's definitely one of the super-hots,' said Joy.
Joy is the breeder of 'Dorset Naga', a previous holder of the world record, which also scored 700,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) in early tests, later going on to hit over 1 million SHU. The current record holder is the Trinidad Scorpion type 'Butch T', bred in Australia, which has been rated at over 1.4 million SHU.