…and I cannot lie. You other brothers can’t deny. That when a ghost sneaks up on you, it’s downright scary (in a good way, of course)!
by Vic Clinco
Being the fanatical, almost-obsessive hot sauce lover that I am, I couldn’t be more excited that the bhut jolokia—aka the ghost pepper—is in the spotlight this issue. Like so many people I have met through not only my culinary exploration but in traveling the hot sauce show and festival circuit, I am a self-confessed hot sauce carny. When we take the step past hot sauce enthusiast and delve into the connoisseur realm, learning and acquiring the tastes for individual chile peppers takes on a whole new depth, becoming an almost educational journey. Like exploring and having the ability to key in on tones, accents and flavor hints, and distinguish where the heat radiates more on your palate. Some peppers are front-forward and attack the lips and tongue, whereas others are back of the mouth and throat, like the ghost pepper.
The jolokia is of the species Capsicum chinense, an interspecies cross or hybrid. The ghost is known by several different names around the world: the bhut jokia; bih jolokia; naga jolokia; and the red naga. Though the most popular color we see is red, the jolokia comes in yellow, orange, brown/chocolate and peach as well. (Jay’s peach is yet another cross that has a beautiful, vibrant peachy color.) Ghosts tend to be a little bumpier or have a roughness to their skin, opposite of the well-known and readily available jalapeño or serrano. The ghost’s skin is also much thinner—the density is more similar to the habanero. But in comparisons of these highly recognizable chiles, the similarities pretty much end there. When it comes to the heat profile of the bhuts, it almost seems light years beyond its counterparts.
In the early 2000s, the ghost pepper started to sneak up on us, creeping up very much like its heat profile. Originating in India, the early Scoville ratings were around the high 800,000 to 900,000s SHUs (Scoville Heat Units). When it seemed to hit the shores of the great U.S. of A., as they say, the New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute in Las Cruces clocked it in higher, just a bit over 1 million SHUs. Let me give you a reference point or two: The jalapeño ranges around 2,500 to 8,000, the serrano is 9,000 to upwards of 22,000, and the orange habanero in your local grocery store is between 150,000 and 325,000. Clearly, that’s a big difference in heat that is noticeable pretty quickly. Take into consideration as well that your standard pepper spray or mace typically ranges between 2 and 6 million SHUs.
In 2007, the Guinness Book of World Records dubbed the ghost as the hottest chile pepper in the world, and it proudly held that record for several years, up into the 2000-teens, where we saw a bit of a revolving door, the record being handed off year after year. Though the recognition of being a record holder may have brought the ghost pepper some notoriety, in my personal and somewhat humble opinion, its iconic stature was anointed on television in reality TV.
I give mad props to Mr. Adam Richman of then Man vs. Food fame. I think he put the ghost pepper on the map, introducing it to the masses and sparking its mystery and intrigue. Whether it was bravado in trying to out-master the Master, or for viewers to curb their inquisitiveness and taste it for themselves, you have to tie that back to the frenzy of the fiery-food producers who wanted to capitalize off the pepper’s allure and the World Record stature. BOOM, a Chile Pepper Rock Star was born. You have no idea how many people still say to me, “But I thought the ghost pepper was the hottest…”
All that aside, please don’t let that steer you away from trying and/or cooking with this wonderful-tasting pepper. I touched a little on its heat profile, its definite back-of-the-throat burn. The ghost is also notorious for its delayed heat, meaning that the heat does not hit you right away. It is a slow build that fakes out some people when eating the pepper or trying it in a sauce. At first, they are like, “This isn’t so bad,” then the heat takes hold, and the climb begins. And again, it’s slow and relentless—but oh, so worth it.
Those traits of the pepper, along with the full, rich fruitiness of the flavor, really lend well to its culinary applications. I am a big fan of the simple complexities of foods, as in if something starts off tart and ends sweet, or begins sweet and ends spicy. You don’t have to overcomplicate things, but those attributes in either sauces or dishes stimulate my palate and my brain. The ghost pepper fits that bill for me; its delay in heat affords you the opportunity to taste your dish or sauce first, before the heat comes in as a complement and supporting role. And if you simply use the pepper in moderation to your heat tolerance, it’s wonderful to cook with. But don’t take my word for it—go and try it for yourself. What do I know…
This article was originally published in the 2015 One-Pot Wonder issue, available on newsstands and in the app store.
The post I like big BHUTS… appeared first on Chile Pepper.