Ghost pepper

The name means 'Bhutanese pepper' in Assamese; the first element , meaning 'Bhutanese', was mistakenly confused for a near-homonym , meaning 'ghost'. In Assam, the pepper is also known as meaning 'poison chili', from Assamese meaning 'poison' and meaning 'chili pepper', denoting the plant's heat. This name is especially common in other regions where it is grown, such as Assam and Manipur. In Manipur, the chili is called umorok. In Northeast India, is also known as the "king chili" or "king cobra chilli'". Other usages on the subcontinent are naga jolokia, 'Indian mystery chili' and 'Indian rough chili'. ==Scoville rating==

In 2000, India's Defence Research Laboratory (DRL) reported a Scoville rating for the ghost pepper of 855,000 SHUs, and in 2004 a rating of 1,041,427 SHUs was made using HPLC analysis. For comparison, Tabasco red pepper sauce rates at 2,500–5,000, and pure capsaicin (the chemical responsible for the pungency of pepper plants) rates at 16,000,000 SHUs. In 2005, New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute in Las Cruces, New Mexico, found ghost peppers grown from seed in southern New Mexico to have a Scoville rating of 1,001,304 SHUs by HPLC. ==Characteristics==

Ripe peppers measure in length and in width with a red, yellow, orange, or chocolate color. The unselected strain of ghost peppers from India is an extremely variable plant, with a wide range in fruit sizes and fruit production per plant. Ghost pepper pods are unique among peppers because of their characteristic shape and very thin skin. However, the red fruit variety has two different types: the rough, dented fruit and the smooth fruit. The rough fruit plants are taller, with more fragile branches, while the smooth fruit plants yield more fruit and are compact with sturdier branches. It takes about 7–12 days to germinate at 32–38 °C. ==Uses==

Culinary Ghost peppers are used as a food and a spice. Animal control In northeastern India, the peppers are smeared on fences or incorporated in smoke bombs as a safety precaution to keep wild elephants at a distance. Chili grenades In 2009, scientists at India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announced plans to use the peppers in hand grenades as a nonlethal method to control rioters with pepper sprays or in self-defence. The DRDO said that ghost pepper-based aerosol sprays could be used as a "safety device", and "civil variants" of chili grenades could be used to control and disperse mobs. Chili grenades made from ghost peppers were successfully used by the Indian Army in August 2015 to flush out a terrorist hiding in a cave. ==Gallery==

File:Bhut jolokia 10 Days.JPG|Ghost pepper leaf, about 10-day-old plant File:Bhut jolokia leaf.JPG|Ghost pepper leaf, about 30-day-old plant File:Bhut jolokia plant 40 days.JPG|Ghost pepper plant, 40 days old, grown in coco peat File:Peach Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper.jpg|Peach ghost pepper File:Yellow Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper.jpg|Yellow ghost pepper File:Chocolate Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper.jpg|Chocolate ghost pepper File:Purple Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper.jpg|Purple ghost pepper File:Red Bhut Jolokia Ghost PepperParadise.org.JPG|Red ghost pepper File:Bjhut-Jolokia.jpg|Ripe, harvested File:Bhut-Jolokia-plant.jpg|/ghost pepper plant ==See also==