"hot peppers" news and stories

Masochists and chile-heads have a British stockbroker to thank for unleashing Naga Snake Bite Sauce on the world. The fiery brew is made from what some claim is the world's hottest pepper. According to the sauce's creator, Mark McMullan, the naga morich chili clocks in at a breathtaking 1,598,227 Scoville Heat Units, beating out the bhut jolokia chili. In any case the dorset naga hasn't been certified by Guinness, while the bhut jolokia has.

The finer points of world records aside, one thing's for sure McMullan has created one blisteringly hot sauce. To give an idea, the dorset naga is 300 times hotter than a jalapeno. The pepper's name derives from the naga, a snakelike creature from Indian mythology. This may explain why the label claims the sauce is "Like drinking cobra venom." I don't think cobra venom is spicy, but it's certainly deadly.

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Somehow between the excitement of Chinese New Year and the Winter Olympics I managed to miss this one. In addition to being the Year of the Dog, 2006 has been dubbed the Year of the Chile Pepper by the National Garden Bureau. I'm glad the organization has seen fit to recognize the hot pepper as its Vegetable of the Year, but as far as I'm concerned, I devote every tear, er year, of my life to the piquant little devils. That said, the NGB has gathered a lot of great growing tips and history, including the fact both Washington and Jefferson grew cayennes.

[photo: smallfarms]

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